composer phenomenon in a historical retrospect of an authorship idea formation in European musical culture of the middle ages

The article is devoted to comprehension of specifics and formation prerequisites of composer’s and musical authorship phenomena historical formation in European culture of the Middle Ages. Genesis of composer’s phenomenon and individual musical authorship model is considered on the basis of historical, socio-cultural and aesthetic-artistic transformations, on awareness about their dynamic’s tendencies and general cultural institutionalization of an authorship phenomenon, as well as on an increasing role of individual creativity in an artistic realm. It is stated that multi-ethnic and anonymous culture of oral tradition, folklore and Christian singing practices, as well as instrumental improvisation’s traditions, became spiritual sources of this phenomena and turn into a strong foundation of musical professionalism and creative impulse for European authorial music evolution. It is emphasized that process of composer’s formation as a creativity subject and musical professionalism carrier was stimulated by the necessity of everyday vocal-choral practice, conditioned by the spiritual context of time, by intention on theocentric world’s picture and religious – Christian outlook dominance. Significant role of secular direction development in the context of music-author’s discourse formation and composer’s figure assertion in the late Middle Ages is highlighted.

Socio-political and public organizations activity peculiarities at Volyn in the Ukrainian statehood idea formation and development in 1921-1939

Historical aspects of the development and formation of socio-political and public organizations in Volyn, which after the end of the World War I was under the rule of two totalitarian powers – the Soviet Union and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth I is studied in the article. The role of Ukrainian immigration in the creation of Ukrainian socio-cultural and political centers was considered, and the optimal ways of solving national problems were searched for. On the example of Volyn lands it is proved that despite the difference of social and political systems, which dominated both Western and Eastern parts of Volyn, the process of formation of the national idea represents an organic unity in all Ukrainian lands.

The Revival of the Russian Idea Ethic and Aesthetic Traditions in the Anthropologic Social and Conservative Paradigm

Russian idea formation in the framework of mental and artistic forms largely determines its ethic and aesthetic trends. The following philosophic conceptualization of the Russian idea turned out to be connected not only with the empire project, but also with the expression of national traditions in the classic culture, from architecture to philosophy. Under the conditions of the global technological crisis of spiritual culture that has captured the quasi-westernized modern Russia, the conservative progress understanding implies in fact the integration of anthropological and social conservatism. Russian idea modernization as an important direction of the domestic philosophy renewal, implies the critical analysis of post-philosophic –suicidal in relation to man, national sovereignty, fundamental social institutions, - doctrines and substantiation of absolute importance of classic and national spiritual traditions, moral and aesthetic context of material and technical progress, cultural self-sufficiency and originality. The panhuman character of the Russian idea in the 21st century consists in the project of co-evolutionary preservation of man, philosophy and culture.

The Prospects of the Mankind in the Era of Technological Singularity

The book by Max Tegmark draws attention to the dangers and benefits that await humanity as a result of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies development. Cosmologist and astrophysicist Tegmark, realizing the impossibility to predict the AI development, offers exciting scenarios of civilization development options for tens, thousands, millions and billions of years. The analysis of the opposite scenarios is aimed at the idea formation that the consequences of creating a general AI, superior to the human level, will be more significant than from all other achievements of civilization. Tegmark is one of the founders and leaders of the “Beneficial AGI” movement, he presents the results of the discussion of the issues he raises with leading experts in the field of AI. Tegmark concludes his book with a call to optimism: “My book urge you to think about what future you would like, and not what future scares you, this way we can find goals for which it’s worth working”.

How the Ritual of a City Holiday is changing: the Case of the Amur Tiger Day

The article explores the city holiday Amur Tiger Day in Vladivostok, which originated as a civic initiative, and later became an official event. The history of the holiday invention and the socio-cultural context of the holiday idea formation are considered, the changes in the structure and the meaning of this holiday over time are analyzed. The hypothesis is formulated that a civil initiative, representing a type of social action, can provide the creation of meanings, their preservation in a group and their transfer to newcomers only if certain strict limits or “rituals” are observed. The conducted empirical research has shown that a deviation from the established ritual results not only distorts the original idea, but also produces a more formal attitude of participants to the event. It can also become a way to solve “external” problems that are completely unrelated to the event. The obtained data make possible to conclude that there is some discrepancy between the initial aim of the holiday to form a new way of life and its nowadays perception as a matter for recreation and entertainment. The city holiday as a social action is now deritualized and this influences the citizens’ perception of the holiday and their involvement in the action.

Narrating the China Threat: Securitising Chinese Economic Presence in Europe

This article unpacks the discursive construction of a European ‘China Threat’ narrative by European think tanks. We theorise think tanks as crucial actors in the securitising process, especially at the initial stages where ideas and reference frames are formed. Despite having no decision-making authority, think tanks participate as securitising actors in the process of idea formation and bidding, articulating a securitised frame of reference for policy makers. In the case of EU–China relations, we observe an emerging congruence between think tanks and policy makers that engage in a non-linear construction of a ‘China Threat’ policy frame. In this article, we review key think tank reports that are circulated through official EU policy channels and deconstruct the assumptions behind the ‘China Threat’ discourse. We first argue that, analytically, their securitising attempt is characterised by a distorted representation of Chinese economic activities abroad, including those falling under the Belt and Road Initiative. Second, politically, this narrative produces a distorted notion of European politics where pluralism is weakness and disagreement dissent, promoting a view of the EU where ‘responsible’ core countries must contain the periphery’s ‘opportunism’. Third, we contend that despite defending ‘Europeanness’ as the epitome of human rights and democracy, the securitisation of Chinese FDI rests on othering practices that risk undermining those very ideals. By identifying the problematic undertones of this securitising effort, we call for a fact-based and pluralistic debate on the challenges of Chinese investment and financing for European economies and societies.

StartUp projects development

Introduction. A significant trend of modern business has become the rapid spread of startups - a special organizational structure aimed at developing and implementing high-tech and innovative products. Purpose. The main purpose of the article is to analyze startup activity both in Ukraine and abroad. Results. The innovative potential of Ukrainian startup projects can be determined by analyzing statistics. The rating is given on the Startup Ranking service. Ukraine ranks 43rd in the number of startups in this ranking. The US has not lost its leadership position since 2016. With 243 successful startups, Ukraine has not made it to the Top 20 and has a large gap between leading countries (four thousand successful startup projects). With a slight margin, Ukraine is ahead of countries such as Norway, Kenya and so on. This means that Ukrainian founders need to work better on projects, because too many startups do not approve or fail. A number of mistakes are made at the stage of idea formation. However, part of the fundamental setbacks occur from the moment of investor search for startup. Therefore, the main reasons for the closure of startups in Ukraine and abroad can be identified: incorrect determination of the level of demand for a startup idea, lack of management experience, lack of clear plans of activities (strategic and current), bureaucracy, poor location, limited funding and lack of funds for the implementation of the startup idea, lack of calculations for determining the optimal price and break-even point, badly formed advertising campaign, lack of mechanisms for promoting the startup idea, problems of interaction with invest tors, organizational problems, untimely release or release of a defective product / service. Conclusions. Ukraine has significant innovative potential for startups, including highly-qualified engineering resources, and creates the appropriate infrastructure and ecosystem around startups. As a result, the number of startups receiving international recognition and receiving funding from foreign investors (Ugears, Senstone, SolarGaps, PassivDom, CruiseBe, Effa, Cardiomo, Helko Smart Dumbbels, Picolor, Petcube etc.) is growing.

Accretion theory of ideation: evaluation regimes for ideation stages

This paper presents an exercise on theory building to characterise design ideation. It starts by examining how early ideas are defined and evaluated in the literature. An essentialist view is identified that explains the creativity of a final design solution by the creative qualities of early ideas attributed by external judges. Criteria for a theory of ideation that does not rely on the primacy of essence are enumerated. Advanced professional practice is examined to understand evaluation of early ideas ‘in the wild’. Accretion is then introduced as an analogical model to imaginatively drive definitions and conjectures about idea formation in the co-evolution of problem and design spaces. Vignettes from ideation episodes are used to illustrate an accretion theory of ideation. An accretion theory supports new ways to think about ideation as a complex formation process where creative solutions emerge from the synthesis of a multitude of fragmentary and partial ideas – or ‘ideasimals’. An accretion theory of ideation helps to explain the creative value of a final design solution without relying on early ideas having a creative essence, because the creativity of a solution is viewed as emergent rather than present in early versions. An accretion lens is used to suggest new ideation metrics to study the qualities of idea fragments and the process of idea formation. Definitions and relevant assessment regimes for different stages of ideation are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion on entailments of an accretion theory and next steps for this theory building enterprise.

Entrepreneurial path: decoupling the complexity of entrepreneurial process

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesise the socioeconomic context, personality, knowledge and social capital into a systemic framework, named the “entrepreneurial path” that demonstrates the process of transforming initial entrepreneurial intentions to a growing venture. This systemic framework decouples the overall complexity of the entrepreneurial realisation to three main subsystems: entrepreneurial intentions and venture idea formation; barriers of transition from nascent to active entrepreneur; and active and growing ventures. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs a systemic thinking approach to decouple the complexity of the subject. Survey techniques and digital social network discussion forums were used for the collection of primary qualitative data from multiple stakeholders. Findings The conceptual framework, named the entrepreneurial path, highlights the importance of different factors at each stage of the entrepreneurial realisation. Especially the importance of factors such as perceived desirability, feasibility, self-efficacy, network ties and social capital has been identified as central. Needs for managerial skills and resources for the new venture come to play only on the later stage. Each of those factors though, plays a distinctive role in the different stages of the realisation and in dependence to the maturity of the entrepreneurial context. Research limitations/implications Further research may examine whether these factors that have been identified by successful entrepreneurs and stakeholders are reflecting the experience for those who have not been successful in their effort to create their venture. Practical implications The entrepreneurial path provides a supportive tool for: academics designing focussed entrepreneurship education programmes and research; managers in intermediate structures to identify the specific needs of nascent and early-stage entrepreneurs in comparison to the needs of entrepreneurs in the growth stage; and for policy makers prioritising on supportive structures and institutions directing their actions to specific stages or barriers of the process or creating holistic and evolving structures based on the maturity of the entrepreneurial context. Originality/value The decoupling of the process of transforming initial entrepreneurial intentions to a growing venture demonstrates that different approaches are required in order to foster each one of the factors identified. Focussing on activities and resources on one stage at the time, or presenting parallel activities that reflect the different level of maturity of regions, institutions, individuals and societal perceptions may provide better service to nascent and active entrepreneurs, than considering treating entrepreneurial intentions as a unified process.