Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika
Not a member yet
364 research outputs found
Sort by
Changing Perceived Life Control: Intergenerational Insights from Lithuania
Full text linkA substantial body of research underscores that greater perceived control over one’s life not only enhances the individual quality of life but also, at an aggregate level, fosters economic efficiency, social inclusion, and civic participation. Perceived control also plays a crucial role in enhancing resilience during crises. At the individual level, it helps to develop more effective coping mechanisms and mitigate psychological distress, engage in more proactive problem-solving strategies and maintain better health outcomes. At the societal level, it strengthens community cohesion that enhances mutual support, collaborative problem-solving and more coordinated crisis responses.
Thus, effective strategies to maintain or increase perceived control can significantly buffer against the adverse effects of crises. However, social preconditions for the formation of perceived control and its broader societal implications remain insufficiently explored. This study examines the dynamics of perceived control in Lithuanian society through the lens of generational replacement, by utilizing the data from the European Values Survey which has been conducted in the country for almost three decades. The findings reveal notable differences in this attitude across social generations. Yet, a multilevel Age-Period-Cohort (APC) analysis indicates that, while generational shifts contribute to an overall societal increase in perceived control, the primary driver is a profound cultural transformation that cuts across all generations
Sveikatos priežiūros įstaigos socialinio darbuotojo galios „spindesys ir skurdas“
Full text linkThe article raises the idea that the role of a social worker employed in a healthcare institution, which has remained unchanged for more than 10 years, cannot meet the full spectrum of nursing and social needs of elderly people, people with disabilities, and people with addictions. The theoretical part reviews the range of factors that increase social problems in an old age, and then these factors are backed by empirical data. The research was conducted by using a method of qualitative descriptive phenomenological analysis, revealing the structure of the experience of a social worker at a healthcare institution. The study results have revealed that social workers in healthcare institutions experience significant pressure due to a lack of inter-institutional cooperation and systemic gaps that prevent them from providing timely assistance to patients with substantial needs. An elderly client with disabilities and addictions becomes an inconvenient client – she is tossed around like a tennis ball from one service provider to another. The client rudely rejects the help offered, thus further increasing his/her social exclusion. Due to the lack of cooperation between health and social protection institutions, social workers in healthcare institutions find themselves in a challenging professional and emotional situation: they must endure strong emotional shocks and resolve ethical dilemmas. Healthcare professionals must also balance humanity with legal restrictions. The gap in legal and organizational measures prevents the needs of disabled and dependent clients from being met promptly by transferring them to a safe nursing or social care institution, and medical professionals must take the risk of exceeding the established legal norms so that the patient is not left ‘on the street’. Based on empirical data, it is concluded that the role of a social worker in a healthcare institution as an intermediary in transferring patients to nursing and social care institutions is tenuous. Social workers, apart from their personal qualities, are not provided with the necessary professional tools to ensure the smooth transfer of older adults with disabilities and alcohol dependence to a nursing and social care institution that would meet their needs.Straipsnyje teigiama, kad daugiau kaip dešimtmetį nekintantis sveikatos priežiūros įstaigos socialinio darbuotojo vaidmuo nebeatitinka senyvo amžiaus, negalią ir priklausomybes turinčių asmenų poreikių. Teorinėje dalyje aptariamos senatvėje didėjančios socialinės problemos, kurias iliustruoja empirinis tyrimas. Tyrimas atliktas taikant kokybinę aprašomąją fenomenologinę analizę, nagrinėjant vienos socialinės darbuotojos patirtį. Rezultatai atskleidė tarpinstitucinio bendradarbiavimo ir teisinių mechanizmų stoką, dėl kurios didelių poreikių turintys klientai tampa „nepatogūs“ ir patiria socialinę atskirtį. Socialinė darbuotoja atsiduria emocinių ir etinių dilemų lauke, neturėdama pakankamų profesinės galios įrankių užtikrinti sklandų paciento perkėlimą į saugią globos aplinką
“What Now?” vs. “Now It’s My Turn!” – Reflecting on Motherhood after the Children Have Left
Full text linkInterested in being a mother and mothering across time, I compare two types of data: (a) interviews with middle-class mothers of grown-ups reflecting upon their prior (maternal) life in Germany, and (b) self-help books addressing parents in this life-phase, called the ‘empty nest’. My analysis reveals differing understandings and constructions of motherhood. The books homogenise being a mother and naturalise what a mother is, does and feels. Accordingly, women complete themselves and find self-fulfilment primarily as mothers, and thus, they struggle when children have moved out as this provides problems for mothering or even signifies the end of motherhood. Contrary to this, the interviews display much greater diversity: despite retrospectively construing images of comprehensive motherly care, gender differentiated life-courses and intensive mothering prior to children’s move out, the interviewees narratively present varying ways of being a mother and a dynamic balancing of motherhood with other sources of identity. Thus, their self-descriptions clash with the self-help depiction of static motherhood in books and uniform experiences of the nest emptiness. Rather than discussing a void and asking, “What now?”, the interviewees make sense of the lived temporality of motherhood and pragmatically deal with the changing needs for mothering. None of them suffers when they launch their children into independent life as they develop coping strategies in former life-course stages, continue to mother after the children have left home, and claim “Now it’s my turn!
Socialinio teatro patyrimo transformuojantis potencialas: „Taksai. Kryptis – Kaunas“ publikos refleksijos
Full text linkThis study contributes to a broader understanding of social theatre as a multidimensional practice which closely links artistic and social dimensions, potentially generating meaningful experiences for audiences and fostering transformation. The article examines the transformative effect of social theatre, based on the performative tour Taksai [local slang for ‘taxis’]. Direction – Kaunas. The aim of the research is to reveal how audiences experience social theatre and what significance this experience has for transformation. The study used semi-structured interviews with 11 participants (audience members) and analyzed the data by using reflective thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke (2022).
The analysis of the results reveals that participation in this social theatre led to a multi-layered transformation, affecting personal cognitive, emotional, and behavioral levels. Participants in the performative tours were not just passive observers but rather active contributors to the theatrical experience. This involvement led to transformations, including reflection on personal beliefs, stereotypes, and emotional responses. Authentic stories shared during the tour enabled the participants to reconsider their own life experiences, perceive difficult personal histories as meaningful, and develop a sense of empowerment. The theatre experience also created a safe space for trying new behavior, stepping outside social norms, and experiencing one’s own agency. Importantly, the participants expressed a renewed sense of hope – believing in the potential for both personal and collective change. The findings align with the theories of Freire and Boal, showing that social theatre can serve as a performative, educational, and therapeutic practice. It not only deepens self-awareness but also helps destigmatize marginalized experiences and restores individuals’ relationships with their social environment, while fostering a sense of agency and relational interconnection.Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas socialinio teatro transformuojantis poveikis, remiantis performatyvaus turo Taksai. Kryptis – Kaunas atveju. Tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti, kaip žiūrovai patiria socialinį teatrą ir kokią reikšmę šis patyrimas turi pokyčiui. Tyrime pasitelktas pusiau struktūruotas interviu su 11 tyrimo dalyvių (publika). Duomenys analizuoti naudojant reflektyviąją teminę analizę. Rezultatų analizė leidžia teigti, kad dalyvavimas šiame socialiniame teatre paskatino daugialypius asmeninius virsmus kognityvinėje, emocinėje ir socialinėje plotmėse. Tyrimo rezultatai patvirtina teorines įžvalgas apie socialinio teatro kaip performatyvios, o kartu ir transformuojančios edukacinės ir terapinės erdvės potencialą
Būti „tikram berniukui“: homoseksualių vyrų vidurinės mokyklos patirtys
Full text linkThe study examines the identity formation experiences of young men who do not conform to heteronormativity and who identify as homosexual within the context of secondary school. Based on social gender identity construction theories, the research seeks to explore how the ‘appropriate’ masculinity is constructed in the school environment and how it is experienced by those who do not conform to it. The aim of the study is to investigate how social agents in secondary school shape the male identity and how homosexual men experience ‘being different’. The research method is the three-stage mapping method of visual sociology. The interview transcript content analysis was performed by using the MAXQDA software, generating code trees. To ensure anonymity, transcripts and participant-created maps were de-identified. The study revealed that the ‘real boy’ standard at school is shaped by heteronormative expectations. As a result, young homosexual men, who are unable to conform to the established norms, have developed mechanisms of self-preservation. In doing so, they partially integrated into the heteronormative system, while simultaneously resisting it, despite facing pressure or even violence from parents, peers, or teachers.Tyrime nagrinėjama heteronormatyvumo neatitinkančių, save homoseksualiais identifikuojančių vaikinų tapatybės formavimosi patirtis vidurinėje mokykloje. Remiantis socialinės lyties tapatybės konstravimo teorijomis, siekiama išsiaiškinti, kaip mokyklos aplinkoje formuojamas „tinkamas“ vyriškumas ir kaip jį išgyvena jo neatitinkantys vaikinai. Nustatyta, kad „tikro berniuko“ standartas mokykloje grindžiamas heteronormatyviais lūkesčiais. Todėl homoseksualūs vaikinai, nepateisindami jiems primetamų normų, iš dalies buvo heteronormatyvios sistemos dalimi, tačiau kartu jai ir priešinosi, nepaisant tėvų, bendraamžių ar mokytojų daromo spaudimo ar net smurto
Socialinės meno praktikos: žinojimai socialinio darbo lauke ir tarp laukų
No full textThe production of knowledge in the realm of social arts practices involves various disciplines. The discourse of these practice is polyphonic and multi-layered. Notably, research on social arts within the scope of social work has been expanding. Yet, the field of social work remains differently defined, with divergent definitions provided by researchers and practitioners. As a result, the discourse regarding the intersection of social arts and social work research is scattered and encompasses a range of knowledge, often loosely interconnected. Some researchers are concentrated on delineate the field of social work, while others – in between fields. However, existing research lacks a profound sociological analysis. Such an analysis could provide insights into how the knowledge of social arts practices is shaped within the context of social work. This raises questions about the role of social arts practices in social work research, how they are conceptualised and the significance of this knowledge in enhancing our comprehension of these practices. Consequently, this study aims is to bridge these knowledge gaps and reflect further constructive path for future research into social arts practices. In this literature analysis of social work research related to social arts we will adopt P. Bourdieu field theory approach.Žinojimo apie socialinio meno praktikas kūrimas yra tapęs įvairių skirtingų disciplinų dalyvių diskusijos objektu. Taip kuriamas daugiabalsis ir daugiareikšmis diskursas apie šias praktikas. Diskusija apie socialinį meną vyksta ir socialiniame darbe, atsiranda vis daugiau šios krypties studijų. Vis dėlto socialinis darbas nėra vientisas, tyrėjai ir profesionalai savaip įkūnija socialinio darbo apibrėžtis. Taigi diskursas apie socialinį meną socialinio darbo tyrimuose yra išsibarstęs, aprėpia skirtingą, vietomis sutampantį ar prasilenkiantį žinojimą. Dalis šių socialinio darbo tyrimų telkiasi apibrėžtose socialinio darbo ribose, kiti – šias ribas peržengia. Vis dėlto galima pastebėti, kad šiuose įvairialypiuose tyrimuose trūksta gilesnės sociologinės analizės, kuri leistų reflektuoti žinojimo apie socialinį meną socialinio darbo tyrimų erdvėje kūrimą. Galima kelti klausimus, kokią reikšmę socialinio meno praktikos įgyja socialiniame darbe, kaip apibrėžiama ši praktika, kuo tai reikšminga gilesniam supratimui apie specifines socialines meno praktikas. Šio straipsnio siekis ir yra užpildyti šį žinių plyšį bei apmąstyti galimą tolesnę konstruktyvią socialinio meno praktikų tyrimo kryptį. Šioje literatūros analizėje, fokusuotoje į socialinio darbo tyrimus, sietinus su socialinio meno praktikomis, pasitelksime P. Bourdieu lauko perspektyvą
Transforming Care: Social Rehabilitation Services for Children with Disabilities in Ukraine
Full text linkThe article examines the provision of social rehabilitation services to children with disabilities and their parents within Ukrainian territorial communities. The study aims to identify priorities and challenges in delivering these services and to propose measures for enhancing their quality. A qualitative research methodology was employed, utilizing expert interviews with 13 specialists from the Lviv, Ternopil, and Cherkasy regions, including both administrators and practitioners who work directly with children with disabilities and their families. The findings highlight that early intervention and day care services as essential priorities, alongside supported living, transportation, assistance during inclusive education, and social orientation programmes. The key challenges include insufficient interdisciplinary collaboration, inadequate information exchange about available services, limited access for children with disabilities, low professional competence among specialists, and issues related to material, technical, and financial support. Recommendations for improving the service quality encompass systematic monitoring of rehabilitation processes, prioritizing professional support within children’s immediate environments, adopting an integrated service provision approach, ensuring children’s participation in decision-making, enhancing competencies of parents and professionals, strengthening social partnerships, promoting fundraising initiatives, conducting awareness campaigns, and fostering international cooperation. This study contributes to the theory and practice of local social work by providing actionable insights to improve social rehabilitation services for children with disabilities in Ukraine, thereby promoting inclusivity and social cohesion
The Metis Effect: The Subjective Career Crafting of Working Mothers
Full text linkBy using the metaphor of Metis, this paper explores – through a feminist standpoint theory lens – how women’s work identity may be overshadowed by their motherhood identity in the ubiquitous patriarchal neoliberal context, and how women seek to overcome the constraints imposed on them in their paradoxical roles as mother-workers by career crafting. Drawing on the whole-life conceptualization of careers where a career includes the work and nonwork domains within which jobs and paid work experiences unfold, this paper explores the subjective career crafting of mothers (supported via the Metis metaphor) in their lived performance of the societally conflicting roles of a good employee and a good mother, moving within and between work and nonwork social spaces. Career crafting considers the cognitive, task, and relational activities that can be agentially tailored to best fit one’s career within the demands of one’s different roles. Mothers’ complex, paradoxical, and boundary-crossing positions in the work–nonwork domain are considered in light of career crafting literature and the Metis metaphor
„Kokia klišė, tiesa?“ Motinų, pasirinkusių darbą ne visą darbo dieną Vokietijoje, įžvalgos
No full textThis narrative study explores the intersection of motherhood, employment choices, and care responsibilities in Germany. Despite its well-documented adverse effects on career progression, pension contribution, and risk of later-life poverty, two thirds of working mothers opt for part-time employment. However, qualitative research has yielded limited insights as to why mothers choose a particular employment model considering the heterogeneity of families in Germany. This contribution draws from a sample of 17 narrative interviews, comprising eight mothers born in Germany and nine born abroad. The narrative analytical approach according to Schütze was used to carry out the analysis. The study reveals that mothers’ employment decisions are shaped by a combination of personal preferences, structural constraints, and socio-economic factors. Mothers with higher education and previous full-time experience tend to pursue part-time work as a temporary compromise, often planning a return to full-time employment when family circumstances allow. However, those with limited qualifications or precarious legal and economic conditions face restricted labor market access, making part-time work less of a matter of choice and more a necessity driven by external pressures. Whether part-time work remains a career killer, a temporary option, or a personal choice, it transcends gender roles and delves into the individual biographies of mothers.Šis naratyvinis tyrimas nagrinėja motinystės, užimtumo pasirinkimų ir globos sąveiką Vokietijoje. Nepaisant gerai dokumentuotų neigiamų pasekmių karjeros raidai, pensijų įmokoms ir vėlesnio gyvenimo skurdo rizikai, du trečdaliai dirbančių motinų renkasi ne visą darbo dieną. Tačiau kokybiniai tyrimai iki šiol suteikė tik ribotų įžvalgų apie tai, kodėl motinos pasirenka tam tikrą užimtumo modelį, atsižvelgiant į šeimų heterogeniškumą Vokietijoje. Šis straipsnis yra dalis doktorantūros tyrimo, kuriame nagrinėjami motinų švietimo siekiai. Jis remiasi 17 naratyvinių interviu imtimi, į kurią įtrauktos aštuonios Vokietijoje gimusios motinos ir devynios motinos, gimusios užsienyje. Analizei atlikti taikytas naratyvinis analitinis požiūris pagal Schütze.
Tyrimas atskleidžia, kad motinų užimtumo sprendimus lemia asmeninių siekių, struktūrinių apribojimų ir socioekonominių veiksnių derinys. Aukštąjį išsilavinimą turinčios ir anksčiau visą darbo dieną dirbusios motinos dažniausiai traktuoja darbą ne visą darbo dieną kaip laikiną kompromisą, dažnai planuodamos grįžti prie viso etato, kai šeiminės aplinkybės tai leis. Tačiau motinos, turinčios ribotą kvalifikaciją arba susiduriančios su nestabiliomis teisinėmis ir ekonominėmis sąlygomis, susiduria su ribotomis galimybėmis darbo rinkoje, todėl darbas ne visą darbo dieną joms dažniau tampa neišvengiamu pasirinkimu, nulemtu išorinių spaudimų, o ne asmeninių pageidavimų. Klausimas, ar darbas ne visą darbo dieną išlieka karjeros „stabdžiu“, laikinu sprendimu ar sąmoningu pasirinkimu, peržengia vien lyčių vaidmenų ribas ir gilinasi į individualias motinų biografijas
Europos švietimo erdvės strateginės programos įgyvendinimo ypatumai naujosiose ES šalyse
Full text linkAlmost a quarter of a century has passed since the European Union started to implement the Lisbon strategy (2000) and developed a common education policy for all the member states. The newest strategic document which defines the direction of education policy development is the European Education Area strategic framework (ET2030), which is to be implemented by the year 2030. In order to monitor the attainment of education policy goals, common goals are set for the member states. However, the EU member states have achieved different levels of socio-economic development and operate in different historical and cultural contexts. It is common practice to divide EU countries into old and new member states because the social and economic differences between the groups are most evident. Besides that, there are also differences within each group. Therefore, we may assume that the scope and the mode of achieving educational goals also differ. The study aims to reveal education policy differences of post-socialist EU member states. For this purpose, the most convenient strategy towards the ET2030 strategic framework has been identified for each post-socialist EU country, considering their different social, economic, and cultural situation.Jau beveik ketvirtį amžiaus, skaičiuojant nuo Lisabonos strategijos (2000) įgyvendinimo pradžios, Europos Sąjunga (ES) siekia formuoti bendrąją švietimo politiką. Naujausias švietimo politikos kryptį nusakantis dokumentas – Europos švietimo erdvės strateginė programa, kurią įgyvendinti numatyta iki 2030 metų (ET2030). Vykdant ET2030 užsibrėžtų švietimo politikos tikslų įgyvendinimo stebėseną, nustatyti bendri visoms šalims siektini rodikliai. Tačiau šalys narės pasižymi nevienodu socialinio ir ekonominio išsivystymo lygiu, joms būdingas skirtingas istorinis-kultūrinis kontekstas. Dažnai išskiriamos senosios ir naujosios, arba posocialistinės, ES narės, nes socialiniai ir ekonominiai skirtumai tarp jų bene ryškiausi. Tačiau yra skirtumų ir abiejų šalių grupių viduje, todėl galima manyti, kad švietimo tikslų įgyvendinimo lygis ir būdai taip pat skiriasi. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti posocialistinių ES šalių švietimo politikos skirtumus. Siekiant šio tikslo, buvo identifikuota kiekvienai posocialistinei ES narei jos socialinę, ekonominę ir kultūrinę situaciją atitinkanti ET2030 tikslų įgyvendinimo strategija