“Lituanistika”, International Research Database
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Relocating the urban center: lessons of Vilnius
No full textThe article analyzes the recent relocation of the city center to another semi-central area, formerly a historical suburb of Šnipiškės in Vilnius, Lithuania, which took place in the context of post-Soviet transformations. This article is a continuation of the authors’ work in researching the Šnipiškės territory, where the authors emphasize that an ambitious political decision, poorly supported by data and based on a questionable vision, was not successful. This study employs a concept-driven, qualitative approach to analyze the urban transformation of the territory. Grounded in architectural theories, the research examines how relocating the city center to this historic suburb has impacted its character. The findings highlight the challenges encountered and derive lessons for similar post-Soviet and post-colonial urban transformations. Keywords: urban center; urban transformation; urban coherence; cultural continuity; assemblage; post-Soviet space; wooden architecture
Efektyvaus tarpkultūrinio bendravimo vaidmuo medicinos turizme Lietuvoje
No full textEfektyvus bendravimas yra labai svarbus tarptautinėje ir daugiakultūrėje aplinkoje, ypač sparčiai augančiame medicinos turizmo sektoriuje. Aiškios bendravimo strategijos padeda įveikti kalbinius ir kultūrinius barjerus, skatina bendradarbiavimą ir kuria santykius, kuriuose gerbiami skirtingi požiūriai. Medicinos turizmo sektoriuje, kuris, kaip prognozuojama, išaugs nuo 13,13 mlrd. JAV dolerių 2021 m. iki 53,51 mlrd. dolerių 2025 m., veiksmingas bendravimas yra labai svarbus koordinuojant sveikatos priežiūros ir logistikos paslaugas („Fortune Business Insights“, 2023 m.). Šiame sektoriuje pirmaujančios šalys yra Tailandas, Indija ir Turkija, o Lietuva turi potencialo dėl kokybiškų sveikatos priežiūros paslaugų ir konkurencingų kainų. Tačiau ji susiduria su tokiais iššūkiais kaip nepakankama vyriausybės parama ir kultūriniai bendravimo barjerai, kurie trukdo jos augimui. Šiame straipsnyje siekiama įvertinti bendravimo įtaką medicinos turizmo sprendimams Lietuvoje, sutelkiant dėmesį į dvi pagrindines sritis: esamos literatūros, susijusios su įtaką darančiais veiksniais, apžvalgą ir Lietuvos, Skandinavijos ir Didžiosios Britanijos atstovų tarpkultūrinio bendravimo stilių palyginimą. Taikant tokius tyrimo metodus kaip literatūros apžvalga, apklausos ir aprašomoji statistinė analizė, tyrime nagrinėjama, kaip medicinos organizacijų komunikaciją vertina tarpkultūriniai medicinos turistai. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad aiški ir tikslinga komunikacija reikšmingai pagerina medicinos turistų patirtį ir paslaugų vertinimą, todėl pabrėžiama komunikacijos efektyvumo svarba medicinos turizmo sektoriuje. Raktažodžiai: efektyvi komunikacija, medicinos turizmas, tarpkultūriniai santykiai, medicinos turistų patirtis, Lietuva.Effective communication plays a critical role in international and multicultural settings, particularly within the rapidly growing medical tourism sector. Clear communication strategies help bridge linguistic and cultural barriers, fostering collaboration and building relationships that respect diverse viewpoints. In the medical tourism industry, which is projected to grow from USD 13.13 billion in 2021 to USD 53.51 billion by 2025, effective communication is essential for coordinating healthcare and logistics ( (Fortune Business Insights, 2023). Leading countries in this sector include Thailand, India, and Turkey, while Lithuania presents potential due to its quality healthcare and competitive pricing. However, it faces challenges such as insufficient governmental support and cultural communication barriers, hindering its growth. This article aims to assess the impact of communication on medical tourism decisions in Lithuania, focusing on two primary areas: a review of existing literature pertaining to influencing factors and a comparison of intercultural communication styles among Lithuanian, Scandinavian, and British representatives. Employing research methods such as literature reviews, surveys, and descriptive statistical analysis, the study examines how medical organizations' communication is perceived by intercultural medical tourists. Findings indicate that clear and purpose-driven communication significantly enhances medical tourist experiences and evaluations of services, underscoring the importance of communication efficiency in the medical tourism sector. Keywords: effective communication, medical tourism, intercultural relations, medical tuorist experience, Lithuania
Career opportunities and their interfaces: experiences of healthcare specialists
No full textStraipsnyje analizuojamos sveikatos priežiūros specialistų patirtys apie savirealizacijos ir karjeros galimybes, pagrindžiant jų tarpusavio sąsajas. Kokybinio tyrimo esminių radinių analizė atskleidė, kad: sveikatos priežiūros specialistų savirealizacijos karjeroje patirtis yra įvairi, sąlygojama jų kompetencijų, tikslų, norų, galimybių, sudaromų sąlygų, gebėjimų pažinti save ir karjeros galimybes, pačiam priimti karjeros sprendimus, planuoti ir realizuoti karjerą, prisiimant atsakomybę už asmeniškai valdomą karjeros procesą; sveikatos priežiūros specialistams sudaromos tiek horizontalios, tiek vertikalios karjeros galimybės, atliepiančios tiek asmeninės, tiek organizacinės karjeros poreikius; sveikatos priežiūros specialistai prioritetą teikia horizontaliajai karjeros krypčiai, įgyjamai mokymosi bei tobulėjimo patirčiai, aktualizuodami vidinį komfortą, pozityvų emocingumą, pasitenkinimą veikla, jos prasmės atradimą, karjeros ir kitų jiems aktualių gyvenimo sričių harmonizavimą. Teorinės prieigos ir atliktas kokybinis tyrimas patvirtino savirealizacijos ir karjeros sąsajų pagrįstumą: karjera ir savirealizacija yra visą gyvenimą trunkantis tobulėjimo procesas, apimantis nuostatas, įgūdžius, gebėjimus, vertybes, asmenybės savybes; karjeros ir savirealizacijos holistinė raiška sukuria darbo prasmę ir gyvenimo pilnatvę, didina savivertę ir pasitikėjimą savimi, teikia emocinį ir pragmatinį pasitenkinimą, motyvuoja siekti veiklos rezultatų ir kokybės, užtikrina sveikatos priežiūros specialistų sėkmingos savirealizacijai karjeros galimybių tęstinumą. Pagrindiniai žodžiai: savirealizacija, asmeninė karjera, karjeros savivalda, mokymasis visą gyvenimą, sveikatos priežiūros specialistų patirtys.Research problem: what are the opportunities for self-realization of health care professionals in the pursuit of a career? Problematic questions are raised to investigate the problem: what are the self-realization career experiences of health care professionals? what are the career and self-realization opportunities for them? how do health care careers relate to self actualization? The object of the study is the career and self-realization of health care specialists. The purpose of the study is to theoretically analyze and empirically substantiate the career and self-realization opportunities and their interfaces of healthcare professionals based on their experiences. Research methods: analysis of scientific literature in order to examine the possibilities of self-realization in a personal career, revealing their connections; a qualitative study (semi-structured interview) to reveal the self-actualization career experiences of healthcare professionals, revealing their interrelationships; content analysis. Research methodology. A qualitative research strategy was chosen for the study, applying the semi-structured interview method, using the interpretive paradigm. in 2024 12 informants from six private and public health care institutions in Klaipėda and Kaunas regions were interviewed during direct interviews between May and June. In order to make the research more objective, specialists from various healthcare fields were interviewed. The interviews took place at the workplaces of health care professionals, at a time convenient for them. Informants were selected by means of targeted, criterial selection. Data were processed using content and descriptive interpretive analysis. Main results and conclusions: 1. The theoretical approach and the conducted qualitative research prove that a career is a dynamic, unique and individual lifelong sequence of work and learning experiences, conditioned by a person's competencies, goals, desires, and opportunities. Self-realization in a career is inseparable from self-knowledge - revealing one's inner potential, discovering and realizing new abilities and opportunities in a professional environment. As the research shows, after revealing their innate qualities, talents, interests, values, discovering themselves in activities, health care professionals give priority to the horizontal career direction, the acquired learning and development experience, actualizing inner comfort, positive emotionality, satisfaction with the activity, discovering its meaning, career and harmonization of other areas of life relevant to them. 2. The study highlighted that health care professionals focus on work, learning and development, satisfaction with achieved results, rather than on career planning. Thus, the importance of career planning that provides greater protection against emerging obstacles is underestimated. However, the study revealed that learning and development open up not only career opportunities for health care professionals, but also self-knowledge. Although it is recognized that their competences, especially general ones, are significant for pursuing a career, and there is a lack of employer's interest in creating the conditions for self-realization, the study shows that both vertical and horizontal career opportunities are created for health care specialists, which meet the needs of both organizational and personal careers: they are assigned to perform more complex, more responsible, functions requiring higher professional competences, activities interesting to the employee, new positions, additional tasks, improvement of qualifications is encouraged, trainings are organized, etc. Since the needs of health care specialists are met, the career perspective is associated with its development, improving professionalism in the current workplace. In addition, the research revealed that the opportunities for career exploration were not used, so health care specialists looked for new career options in order to ensure self-realization, spiritual, intellectual and economic satisfaction, but their decision-making was more influenced by internal than external factors. Based on the experiences of healthcare professionals, in order to realize yourself, you should not be afraid of changes that lead to self-knowledge and career opportunities, try to distance yourself from external factors and use self-reflection, choose a career direction that enables the realization of your aspirations. 3. Both the theoretical approach and the conducted qualitative research confirmed the validity of self-realization and career links: career and self-realization is a lifelong development process that includes attitudes, skills, abilities, values, personality characteristics; the holistic expression of career and self-realization creates the meaning of work, fullness and quality of life, increases self-esteem and self-confidence, provides emotional and pragmatic satisfaction, motivates to achieve personal performance results, ensures continuity of career opportunities for successful self-realization of healthcare professionals. Keywords: self-realization, personal career, career self-management, lifelong learning, experiences of healthcare professionals
Jonas Bretkūnas's Postil (1591) in the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (2024)
No full textLietuvos nacionalinė Martyno Mažvydo biblioteka (LNB) 2024 m. rugsėjį įsigijo Jono Bretkūno Postilę (1591, toliau – BP I–II). Šis faktas keičia bibliografinę statistiką: tai dar viena Postilė Lietuvoje, prieinama mokslo bei kultūros visuomenei. Kiekvienas į viešumą iškilęs egzempliorius teikia svarbios informacijos apie tai, kaip XVI pabaigoje Prūsijos Kunigaikštystėje sukurta knyga buvo skaitoma vėliau ir kas lėmė, kad palyginti daug jos vienetų išliko iki XXI a. Lietuvos ir kitų Europos valstybių bibliotekose bei muziejuose šiuo metu yra apie 30 Postilės egzempliorių. Lietuvoje jų skaičius po truputį auga. Lietuvos atminties institucijose iki 2005 m. saugota 10 egzempliorių. Jie jau tirti de visu ir aprašyti leidžiant faksimilinį leidimą (suvestinę žr. toliau – 1). Šio straipsnio tikslas – ištirti įsigytą egzempliorių ir pateikti žinių apie jo funkcionalumą. Tikslo link einama tokiais etapais: aprašoma būklė ir įrišas, nustatoma proveniencija, įvertinami skaitymo kultūrą liudijantys duomenys, ypač rankraštiniai įrašai. Egzempliorius tirtas de visu pagal knygos metodologinės analizės modelį, ypatingą dėmesį skiriant dinaminiams veiksniams: funkcijų prasmės pokyčiams ir abipusiam ryšiui tarp knygos ir visuomenės. Vertinant šiuos veiksnius, atsižvelgiama į tai, kad knygos poreikis priklauso visų pirma nuo jos turinio, bet funkcionalumą kiekvienu konkrečiu laikotarpiu lemia ir tai, kiek yra skaitytojų, gebančių ją suprasti ir pritaikyti savo reikmėms. Be to, knyga gali būti funkcionali, bet nefunkcionuoti, jei nėra prieinama visuomenei.In September 2024, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (NLL) procured a copy of the Postil (1591) by Jonas Bretkūnas (LNB NPDAF: D14067 11th copy kept on file at Lithuanian libraries and museums, and the third Postil outside of Bibliography of Lithuania Lietuvos bibliografija (LB I, 1969 and LBP, 1990) currently held at Lithuanian memory institutions. This copy of the Postil is the oldest Lithuanian book at the NLL. The goal of this article is to introduce the new copy to the academia and the culture society by describing its condition and binding, establishing its provenience, scrutinising the data attesting to the culture of reading and handwritten entries in particular. The copy is studied de visu according to the methodological analysis of the book, with a particular focus on dynamic factors: changes in the meaning of functions and the reciprocal relationship between the book and society. The proveniences testify that in the 19th century, this was a household book that had at least four owners: (1) the unnamed mother of Urtė Ostwald (until 1830); (2) Urtė Ostwald (as of 1830); (3) Friedrich Fritz Ostwald Jr.; (4) E. Skėrys (between 1860 and 1893, at the very least) of Senieji Vainočiai (Ger. Alt Weynothen in Prussian Lithuania, near to Tilžė [Ger. Tilsit]). The published testimony of the peers indicates that in the 20th century, (5) it belonged (until 1988) to Mina Bentkus (born in 1900) of Büsingen (German exclave in Switzerland), (6) and (as of 1988) to Fricas Skėrys (1919–1994) of Mannheim (Germany). In early 20th century, the book was transferred from its original location in Prussian Lithuania to Switzerland (to Feuerthalen near Schaffhausen), following the move of the home church community of Evangeliška liuteriška Betliejaus draugystė (The Evangelical Lutheran Fellowship of Bethlehem) under Rev. Endrikis Kalvaitis (Heinrich Kallweit, 1937-1915) to the same country. In around mid-20th century, the religious books that Prussian Lithuanians had in their possession were collected by Mina Bentkus, who in 1988 handed them over to the German evangelical Lutheran priest Fricas Skėrys. The main hallmark which identifies the copy procured by the NLL as the one that Mina Bentkus had and passed on to Fricas Skėrys is the 1830 provenience by Urtė Ostwald, as recorded in Domas Kaunas’s 1991 de visu inventory of the Postil kept at Skėrys’s home. The copy contains a number of entries handwritten in Lithuanian and German. The Lithuanian entries usually come in two different varieties: they either (1) indicate how old the book is, as well as point to certain events that had occurred during that period; or (2) constitute linguistic corrections. The first type testifies to Skėrys’s keen interest in history and his appreciation of old books. The second shows the reaction to the 16th century Lithuanian language. Forms with an designating a nasal vowel were considered outdated (and the would be stricken out); the letter designating the Baltic [*ā] would be replaced with an . Forms of nouns in plural locative with an ending -su were considered unusual and the ending would be corrected to -se. In forms of plural genitive, the would sometimes have a roof-shaped circumflex added on top. Corrections of the vocabulary and punctuation were also aimed at bringing words and constructions up to date. The functioning of this copy amidst the public is indicative of the functional properties this book had, as well as its value in different periods: in the 19th and 20th century, it was in the possession of private owners and would be used as a religious book to help the reader get to know the Bible better and to keep the faith, whilst observing how old it was already and language that does not conform to usage has been corrected, while in the 20th and 21st century, it was perceived as a valuable piece of cultural heritage to be treasured. Once at the NLL, it was granted both solid protection and free access (also available on epaveldas.lt website)
Perceptions of stress and engagement in high-intensity caregiving: a cross-sectional study in Lithuania
No full textThe aging population and overstretched healthcare systems are increasing demand for home nursing by informal caregivers, significantly affecting their mental health. This study aimed to examine the level of population’s engagement in caregiving and the association between high-intensity caregiving and perceived caregiving stress in the general population of Lithuania. A nationally representative sample (N = 1000) of Lithuanian residents aged 18 years and older (mean age 53.1 ± 17.9 years) was interviewed in their households. The results showed that 17.4% (95% CI: 15.1, 19.8) of respondents were involved in home nursing activities to some extent, with 42% of these being high-intensity caregivers (providing 11 or more hours of home care per week). Caregivers were statistically significantly more likely to be female and have higher education levels. Perceived stress was significantly associated with higher education levels (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.41, 5.02), high-intensity caregiving (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.97), regular involvement in home nursing (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.01, 3.43), and caring for recipients with dementia or individuals entirely dependent on assistance (OR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.22, 5.23). Caregivers perceived stress is associated with their level of education, the intensity and regularity of home nursing, as well as the level of dependency of the care recipient, especially in cases of dementia. Comprehensive long-term care policies should be developed to ensure the larger availability of formal care resources, increased societal participation in home nursing, and tailored interventions for high intensity caregivers. Keywords: caregiver, informal care, home nursing, long-term care, mental health, caregiving stress, primary health care, caregiving engagement, high-intensity caregiving
Physical education teachers' health literacy: first evidence from Lithuania
No full textBackground: Promotion of health literacy is an important goal in the context of promoting whole school health. Physical education teachers are of particular importance in achieving this goal. However, very limited empirical studies have addressed the health literacy of physical education teachers. This research aimed to test the structural validity and reliability of the HLS19-Q12, to measure health literacy among physical education teachers, and to evaluate associations of health literacy with health- and lifestyle-related indicators. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of Lithuanian physical education teachers. The participants completed a self-administered online survey that collected information on socio-demographics and health literacy (HLS19-Q12 for general health literacy and the optional package HLS19-DIGI to measure digital health literacy) as well as health behavior. Results: A total of 332 participants completed the survey. The HLS19-Q12 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α of 0.73 and McDonald’s ω of 0.75) and satisfactory structural validity (CFI = 0.924, TLI = 0.917, RMSEA = 0.081). Participants had an average score of 85.09 (SD = 17.23) when using the HLS19-Q12, with 19.3% and 48.8% displaying excellent and sufficient levels of health literacy, respectively. Regression analyses revealed that a higher level of health literacy was significantly associated with better health evaluation (β = 0.15, p <0.01), but no significant association was found with other health behavior and lifestyle indicators. Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that teachers’ general health literacy is relatively high. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting more in-depth studies to pursue the understanding of the whole school teachers’ health literacy. Keywords: physical education teacher; health literacy; health behavior; HLS19-Q12
Pork barrel and identity politics: explaining a minority party's electoral success in Lithuania
No full textOur article describes the lifecycle of Lithuania’s Electoral Action of Poles–Christian Families Alliance (LLRA-KŠS) party that has been a part of country’s political landscape for near 30 years. Despite its seemingly ethnic program, the party has a poor track record for delivering on its electoral promises. Yet, it has been continuously supported by the majority of Polish-speakers in Lithuania. The background of the nationalizing state, which encourages the party elites to conflate substantive representation with the signposting of ethnic identity in party politics, offers one of the reasons for the LLRA-KŠS’s electoral success. Although the party effectively consolidated its regional electorate, it came to control service delivery to their ethnic constituency by engaging in pork barrel politics. Poor performance in recent national and municipal elections put this strategy to bond with its voters into question, casting doubt on the LLRA-KŠS’s ability to survive as an ethnic party in the long term. Keywords: nation-building; minority representation; Lithuania; Poles
Psychological distress, suicidality and resilience of Lithuanian nurses
No full textBackground: Nurses, like other healthcare workers, are prone to poorer mental health, increased burnout, and may have an increased risk of suicide. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate mental health problems among Lithuanian nurses and explore factors associated with them. Method: The survey was completed by 533 nurses. Mental health was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—21, and suicidal ideation was measured with the Suicidal Behaviours Questionnaire—Revised (SBQ-R). Findings: A large proportion of nurses in the study had high psychological distress, with 18% having high depression, 29.3% - high anxiety, and 17.1% - high stress. 21.2% of the sample had an increased suicide risk. 64.9% of nurses considered changing their careers to a non-medical profession in the last 12 months. Discussion: Addressing mental health issues in the national healthcare system is critical to avoiding the loss of valued medical community members and ensuring that patients do not lose their critical caretakers. Keywords: mental health, depression, Lithuania, nurses, suicide risk
Suicide risk factors among Lithuanian medical doctors and residents
No full textBackground: Medical doctors and residents are regularly exposed to multiple stressors that may lead to mental health problems. Work-related stressors contribute to elevated levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression among health care workers. This is the first investigation evaluating suicidal behaviour and thoughts among Lithuanian medical doctors and residents exposed to various professional stressors at two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to evaluate suicidality and factors associated with high suicide risk in a large sample of Lithuanian medical doctors and residents. Methods: The research included 685 participants who completed an online questionnaire over a two-month period in December 2021 and January 2022. Medical doctors and residents from all specialties were invited to participate in the survey. The most common stressors in their work environment were measured. Mental health was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) scale, and suicidality was measured with the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). Results: The lifetime suicide risk was found in 30.4% of the sample. Moreover, 11.4% of medical doctors and residents were identified as having previous or current suicide planning ideation, and 2.5% reported a previous suicide attempt. Univariate analysis showed that younger age, having no long-term relationships, shorter work experience, career change ideation, higher depression and anxiety, poor working conditions, at the direct contact with patients, lack of career perspectives, and exposure to mobbing and exhaustion at work were statistically significant risk factors for higher suicidality. Furthermore, regression analysis supported that having no long-term relationship, high depression, and high anxiety were significant risk factors for suicide risk in the sample. Conclusion: We found out that almost one-third of medical doctors and residents had lifetime suicide ideations and behaviours at the high suicide risk level. Main suicide risk factors were poor mental health, work-related stressors, and a lack of long-term relationships. The results of the study can help to develop prevention strategies by identifying populations that may be at high risk for mental health problems and provide evidence in implementing specific interventions to address mental health problems in healthcare workers. Keywords: medical doctors and residents, Lithuania, suicidal behavior, suicide risk
The Cultural roots of green stays: understanding touristic accommodation choices through the lens of the theory of planned behavior
No full textBased on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study presents and tests an integrated model to investigate how individual cultural values influence tourists’ decisions when selecting sustainable accommodation. This study aims to examine the cultural impact on sustainable accommodation choices from the perspectives of tourists in three culturally distinct countries. Data were gathered from 1855 participants in Spain, Norway, and Lithuania using a questionnaire survey method. The data was analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method, with statistical analysis based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). This study found that uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation significantly influence attitude. Additionally, collectivism and power distance notably impact subjective norms, while masculinity affects perceived behavioral control. Tourists’ intentions regarding sustainable accommodation choices were determined to be influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. These findings contribute to the theoretical discussion of sustainable purchasing by emphasizing the intricate role of individual cultural values and provide practical insights for developing marketing strategies that resonate with these values. Keywords: sustainable tourism; eco-friendly accommodations; green hotels; cultural values; uncertainty avoidance; long-term orientation; collectivism; power distance; masculinity