Under the influence of globalization and state integration processes, the importance of a border as a barrier is gradually decreasing. Borderlands are still perceived as specific phenomena, however, not only in terms of historical development but especially in the context of their changing impact on the daily lives of their inhabitants. Along with EU enlargement, the de-bordering process has also become significant in many countries where the borderland played an important role in the past. These include the V4 countries, whose borderlands are the object of this research. In this article we analyze these areas on the basis of selected socio-economic indicators, with a focus on change in the period 2001–2011. As indicated by the Analysis of Variance, the results show the significantly differentiated development of the borderlands, in terms of the individual values of indicators both within the borderland of the EU member states, as well as along the external border of the EU.
Territorial systems in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are surveyed together with factors that have determined their present shape. The most important among these are: a relatively late start in the building of the modern state, the legacy of communist regimes, and the exigencies of postcommunist transition. In the second part of the paper territorial cleavages occurring in the region are examined, in particular: the centre–periphery contrasts; the urban–rural cleavage; the West – East gradient of modernisation and economic development; and sociocultural cleavages as reflected in local self-organisation. In the third part of the paper the strategies of territorial reorganisation are discussed, as they are debated and implemented in the countries under study.
The existence of marginal regions is closely linked to the socio-spatial polarisation of our society. Although marginality and peripherality can be considered a multidimensional phenomenon, the literature as well as social discourses often address only some of its dimensions, in particular on the basis of objective approaches. Such a research is usually based on the quantification of a wide range of statistical indicators, whether of a social, environmental or economic nature. This study aims to capture another equally important dimension of this phenomenon, namely the perception of marginality and peripherality. Drawing on a series of interviews carried out with experts in the field of Irish rurality, this research points to the various perceptions of this phenomenon in rural Ireland. The results once again confirm the complexity of marginality and peripherality, and highlight many differences but also similarities that exist with regard to this phenomenon in the Irish rural context.
MáLiková L., kLobučník M., 2017. Differences in the rural structure of Slovakia in the context of socio-spatial polarisation. Quaestiones Geographicae 36(2), Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Poznań, pp. 125-140, 2 tables, 2 figs.AbstrAct: This study is devoted to socio-spatial polarisation with regard to the rural environment in Slovakia. In fact, ongoing polarisation processes do not take place only in the rural-urban continuum, but within every single category as well. This is evident especially in the rural environment, which has begun to change significantly in terms of its structure and to diversify to a greater extent. As a result, some parts of the countryside began to stagnate and decline gradually. These parts of the rural environment can thus be referred to as marginal, peripheral. With respect to the proclaimed diversity of the rural environment, this study focuses on selected rural structures, namely mountain areas, the borderland, and the area at the intersection of those two structures. Generally, these parts of the rural environment are often confronted with the phenomenon of marginality and peripherality, and because of the given local predisposition are even more vulnerable to its manifestations. Taking into account the dynamism and multidimensional character of this phenomenon, we can further assume that its manifestation changes in time and space. With the use of ANOVA, we examine a set of selected indicators of socio-spatial polarisation and verify whether and to what extent this dynamism depends on the character of diversified rural structures.
Abstract. The existence of marginal regions is closely linked to the socio-spatial polarisation of our society. Especially in the post socialist countries, including Slovakia, which have undergone significant social and economic transformation, spatial polarisation and related regional disparities have become a relevant issue across multidisciplinary academic research. This study focuses on similarities and differences in defining the marginality from two different perspectives -one that is based on quantification of statistical data and another based on individual perception of marginality from the position of local mayors. Local mayors, the main figures of the local governance, have in the Slovak system of administration huge responsibility in the development of communes and a great opportunity to improve the status of certain communes, especially those marginal. At the same time this study investigates how the political affiliation and political support affect their competencies and activities in relation to the marginal position of their commune.
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