A collection of research works concerning social work and conducted in 2015-2019 by students involved in various fields of social, educational and aid activity as part of Erasmus Mundus ADVCANCES (Advanced Development in Social Work) master studies. The major asset of the publication is the presentation of different aspects of social and educational support in Poland, as well as social work and other assistance activities from the multicultural perspective in view of global changes and international education. The texts written by authors who have practical experience gained in their own countries and who are pursuing international careers inspire discussion on different aspects of social work all over the world. Increasing mobility of researchers, practitioners and users of assistance activities forces changes in thinking about the objectives and functions of these initiatives, which should be enriched by the outside perspective. There is no better way to discuss the identity of discipline, the variety of attitudes and universality of aid standards than recognising the diversity of perceiving the same phenomena. The researchers, students, academics and practitioners will find here many interesting issues, which can stimulate further discussions, research and social practices related to providing assistance to other people. ****** Zbiór prac badawczych z zakresu pracy socjalnej prowadzonych w latach 2015-2019 przez studentów zajmujących się różnymi obszarami działalności społeczno-wychowawczej oraz pomocowej w ramach programu studiów magisterskich Erasmus Mundus ADVCANCES (Advanced Development in Social Work). Atutem publikacji jest przedstawienie badania przez obcokrajowców różnych wymiarów pomocy społecznej i edukacyjnej w Polsce oraz pracy socjalnej i działań pomocowych z perspektywy wielokulturowej, globalnych przemian oraz międzynarodowej edukacji. Prezentowane teksty autorów – mających praktyczne doświadczenia zdobyte we własnych krajach, a obecnie rozwijających kariery zawodowe o zasięgu międzynarodowym – stanowią inspirację i punkt wyjścia do dyskusji o pracy socjalnej na całym świecie w jej różnorodnych odsłonach. Coraz większa mobilność badaczy, praktyków i usługobiorców działań pomocowych wymusza zmianę w myśleniu o celach, założeniach i funkcjach tych przedsięwzięć, które już nie tylko mogą, lecz powinny być wzbogacone perspektywą oglądu „z zewnątrz”. Nie ma bowiem lepszej drogi do dialogu o tożsamości dyscypliny, różnorodności podejść i uniwersalności standardów pomocowych niż rozpoznanie odmienności postrzegania tych samych zjawisk. Badacze, studenci, akademicy i praktycy znajdą w tym opracowaniu wiele interesujących tematów, które mogą stać się impulsem do dalszych dyskusji, rozwoju badań i praktyk społecznych związanych z misją niesienia pomocy drugiemu człowiekowi.

System ochrony dzieci – po prostu pomyśl inaczej? Analiza krytyczna wybranych modeli Niniejsza publikacja zawiera kompleksową analizę struktury i historycznego rozwoju czterech prawnych systemów wsparcia rodziny i ochrony dzieci: czeskiego, słowackiego, polskiego i brytyjskiego (Anglia i Walia). Zwraca uwagę na to, w jaki sposób każdy z modeli rozumie dobro dziecka, zwłaszcza w kontekście jego ochrony, a także omawia pozycję rodziców w tym zakresie. Publikacja na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa 3.0 PL (CC BY 3.0 PL) (pełna treść wzorca dostępna pod adresem: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/pl/legalcode). Zakres recenzowanej publikacji jest szeroki i bardzo wzbogaca ofertę monograficzną dotyczącą poruszanej tematyki. Niewiele jest prac, które podejmują wątki analizy poszczególnych krajowych systemów po to, by szukać idealnego modelu – rozwiązania instytucjonalnego służącego doskonaleniu rozwiązań z zakresu ochrony praw dziecka. (Z recenzji dr hab. Marty Daneckiej) W odniesieniu do interdyscyplinarnej refleksji nad szeroko rozumianą pracą socjalną nakierowaną na rozwiązywanie problemów dzieci, młodzieży i rodzin dysfunkcyjnych Child protection system… jest moim zdaniem na polskim rynku opracowaniem oryginalnym. Jego olbrzymią zaletą jest teoretyczno-badawczopraktyczna, a także prawna perspektywa zastosowana przez Autorów. Książka może zaistnieć w organizacjach międzynarodowych (takich jak np. Eurochild) oraz toczących się obecnie debatach dotyczących child protection i child care. (Z recenzji dr hab. Agnieszki Golczyńskiej-Grondas, prof. Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego) ********* This publication provides a useful insight into the structure and historical development of four family support and child protection frameworks: Czech, Slovakian, Polish and British (England and Wales). It looks at how each of the models understands child welfare, especially in the context of child protection and discusses the parents’ position therein. The book could inspire practitioners, researchers and policy makers to redefine child-focused practice and build systems where child welfare is considered paramount and is safeguarded throughout – first and foremost, well- -coordinated and targeted support of their families and, if that is not possible, thoroughly assessed and supported permanent out-of-family placements. The publication is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Poland license (CC BY 3.0 PL) (full license available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/pl/legalcode). The Chapter describing child protection proceedings in the Family Courts in England and Wales is essential reading for those wanting to know more about the evolution of the law, public inquiries following cases where protection was found wanting, and current practice, particularly in regard to fostering and adoption. Much light is shed on the elements of assessing risk and permanence planning. It’s suitable for those needing an overview, but also those wishing to explore the subject in depth. I highly recommend it. (Judge Arvil Calder,Immediate Past President of International Association of Youthand Family Judges and Magistrates) With its broad scope, the reviewed publication is an important contribution to the monographs devoted to the subject. There are not many works that focus on the analysis of individual national systems in order to find a perfect model – an institutional solution that could be used to improve the protection of children’s rights in practice. (Excerpt from the review by Marta Danecka, PhD) As regards interdisciplinary reflection on social work understood as providing solutions to problems of children, youths and dysfunctional families, Child Protection System – just think differently? Critical analysis of selected models is, in my opinion, a publication that is unique on the Polish market. Its vast advantages include the theoretical and practical research-based approach as well as the legal perspectives applied by the authors. The book may find its place in international organisations (such as Eurochild) and in on-going debates concerning child protection and child care. (Excerpt from the review by Agnieszka Golczyńska-Grondas, Professor of the University of Łódź) ********* Magdalena Szafranek (ORCID 0000-0002-4675-2385) – is a sociologist and lawyer working at the Institute of Applied Social Sciences at the University of Warsaw. Her research interests include child and family support in the local environment and changes in civil society. She is a member of the Management Board of the Family Judges Association in Poland and of the General Committee of the International Association of Family Judges and Justices of the Peace. She holds the position of editor-in-chief of the scientific journal "Dziecko krzywdzone. Teoria, badania, praktyka" (Child Abused. Theory, Research, Practice), which is published by the Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę Foundation. Petr Fabián (ORCID 0000-0001-5144-9754) – studied philosophy, theology and special pedagogy. He prepared his doctoral thesis on the issue of introducing quality standards into the child protection system in the Czech Republic. He completed psychotherapeutic and supervisory training and led a therapeutic programme in a therapeutic community for children and young people abusing drugs (addictive substances). Fabián worked for 13 years as the director of an infant home, which he transformed into the Crisis Centre for Family and Child. He is a lecturer at the Silesian University in Opava, where he leads research projects concerning vulnerable children and families and social work with families. Another topic of interest to him professionally is social work with the elderly and the use of assistive technologies. At the same time, he works as a psychotherapist for non-governmental non-profit organisations. Currently, he is managing a new project, unique in the Czech Republic, called the Sluchátko therapeutic line, which aims to make systematic therapeutic help available. In some regions, it is used as a tool to support the deinstitutionalisation of psychiatric care. He publishes mainly on topics related to the family (vulnerable families and the needs of functional families), the e-Health system and paediatric patients. His most recent publication, "Možná to jde i jinak" (Maybe There’s a Different Way), published in 2021, presents a multidisciplinary approach to the theory and methods of social work. Albín Škoviera (ORCID 0000-0002-4534-5219) – graduated in special and therapeutic pedagogy at the Faculty of Arts at the Comenius University in Bratislava. He completed psychotherapeutic training focused on psychodynamics. For 18 years, he worked as a therapist and educator in special educational facilities, and from 1989, he was the director of the Children’s Diagnostic Institute in Bratislava for more than 12 years. Joanna Gorczowska – holds a Master’s degree in pedagogy, is a systemic practitioner and Gestalt psychotherapist. She has extensive experience of working in the child protection system in the UK as a social worker and, since 2012, as an independent social worker preparing systemic parenting assessments and special guardianship assessments for the UK family justice courts. She has worked with abused children, families at risk and foster families. She has published articles and presented papers at conferences in Poland highlighting good practices and solutions in the field of child protection. Currently, she also works as a psychotherapist. Her areas of interest include the impact of early childhood negative experiences on child development and functioning in adulthood and therapeutic support for people with traumatic experiences.

The monograph is concerned with the phenomenon of transition to adulthood of young Poles and reaching the stage of completed adulthood, i.e. being economically and socially independent. The study is the first comprehensive presentation of this complex process in Poland by applying a sociological perspective, public policies analysis, assessments of young adults and representatives of institutions providing support for various life difficulties. The monograph is based primarily on qualitative (narrative and group interviews) and quantitative (statistical) data. The publication has a scientific and applied character. The book may be of interest to both academics, mainly sociologists, demographers and social politicians, as well as young people and practitioners involved in organising support for young people who experience difficulties in their everyday life during the transition to adulthood. * This is a pioneering book on the process of transition to stabilised/completed adulthood, socio­economic and family conditions and effects in a Poland undergoing profound economic, political and socio-cultural changes. From the review by prof. Wielisława Warzywoda-Kruszyńska The reviewed work emanates originality and a non-standard approach both to the theory, the research itself and the presentation of results. Reading this monograph […] leads to the conclusion thot there is no similar work in Poland, and one may risk a thesis that there is no similar work in the EU, and it is good that it will be published in English, inspiring researchers and analysts to […] reflect on life at different stages of development within the human life cycle. From the review by prof. Krzysztof Czekaj

“This book is not addressed to the learned, or to those who regard a practical problem merely as something to be talked about,” with this sentence English philosopher Bertrand Russell began The Conquest of Happiness and it has become an inspiration for me and a starting point for my analysis. Staying true to Russell's ideas, I have written a book which—I believe—can be addressed to all (scholars as well) who are interested in happiness and how it can be achieved. I have placed my considerations on happiness in the areas we all know: family, marriage, children and gender. When writing the book I surfed through Internet forums and analysed the results of scientific studies in order to scrutinise Russell's seven causes of unhappiness: competition (when investing in children), boredom (of doing housework), fatigue (of double shift), envy and comparisons of mothers, males’ sense of sin, persecution mania and new fathers’ fears of public opinion. Let's be honest: my findings are not always nice. Not infrequently, the results of scientists' work contradict what we believe. Read it only if you are ready to face new and unexpected.

PERFORMATIVE ASPECTS OF ART The concept of performativity has been usually evoked in the discussions on the philosophy of language and the reflection on theatre and performance art. However, in recent years there have been some attempts to broaden its scope. The theoretically inclined researchers have been working out the main assumptions of the aesthetics of performativity. These are claimed to include the challenging of the boundaries of artistic disciplines, and emphasizing the active role of the recipients, for whom the art works become events developing in consequence of their actions. Besides those attempts to grasp the theoretical consequences of “the performative turn”, one should also note some very interesting practical analyses, employing the theory in the discussion on concrete works from different domain of art. It appears that one can discover transformational potential, focus on change rather than just existence, even in the domains traditionally regarded as “artifactual” (painting, sculpture, installations). The planned volume of “Art Inquiry” will be devoted to the reflection on both directions of expansion of the concept of performativity. We would like the authors to consider its general significance for aesthetics and for the theory of various domains of art. We also hope that they will show the changes occurring when its unique perspective is adopted in the discussion on both theatre, paratheatrical experiments, and film, and the domains which have traditionally emphasized the role of the artistic artifact. The title of this volume invites questions about the possible scope of performativity and its kinds. PERFORMATYWNE ASPEKTY SZTUKI Zagadnienie performatywności podejmowane było najczęściej w rozważaniach z zakresu filozofii języka oraz w refleksji nad teatrem i sztuką performance. W ostatnich latach zauważyć można jednak próby jego rozszerzenia. Z jednej strony zmierzają one do wypracowania założeń estetyki performatywności. Wśród jej cech wskazywane jest kwestionowanie granic poszczególnych dziedzin artystycznych, zaakcentowanie aktywnej roli odbiorców, dla których utwory stają się wydarzeniami rozwijającymi się w wyniku ich działań itd. Oprócz prób sformułowania teoretycznych konsekwencji „zwrotu performatywnego” zauważyć można także bardzo interesujące konkretne analizy polegające na uwzględnieniu właściwych dla niego założeń przy rozważaniu dokonań z różnych obszarów sztuki. Okazuje się, że nawet w obszarach twórczości uważanych tradycyjnie za „wytwórcze” (malarstwo, rzeźba, instalacja) odkryć można aspekty transformacyjne, zakładające nie trwanie, a przemiany. W najnowszym tomie „Art Inquiry” przewidywane jest rozważenie obu zasugerowanych wyżej obszarów ekspansji idei performatywności. Z jednej strony rozważone mają być jej ogólne konsekwencje dla estetyki i teorii różnych dziedzin sztuki. Z drugiej, pokazane zmiany występujące, gdy właściwy dla niej punkt widzenia zostanie uwzględniony zarówno w obszarze refleksji teatralnej, parateatralnej, filmowej, jak w dziedzinach, w których tradycyjnie akcentowano rolę wytwarzanego przedmiotu (dzieła). Tytuł tego tomu ma właściwie charakter pytania o możliwy zakres performatywności i jej odmiany.