Suchergebnisse

This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.

This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.

In recent decades when the concept 'Regional Europe' is becoming more popular and regions are becoming more significant players on national and international levels, bigger attention is paid to regionalism studies and regionalisation processes as well. These processes have not bypassed Nordic countries, which promote cooperation within the Baltic region by involving the Baltic States into the regional processes as well. USA has received an important role in the processes of development of the Baltic Sea region, to which belong both Northern and the Baltic States; this region has become attractive to USA because of its increasing influence in the region and Europe, and it was a good opportunity for USA to maintain its influence in Europe after the end of the Cold war. The main object of this work is cooperation between Nordic - Baltic countries and USA in the context of development of the regional initiatives. This paper work tries to investigate dynamics of cooperation between Nordic and the Baltic States and USA by assessing the superpower impact and influence on cooperation of two sub-regional states in the Baltic Sea region. When assessing tendencies of cooperation between Northern and the Baltic States and USA, most attention is paid to the format (NB8+1) of regional group NB8 collaborating with USA, JAV, and Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (E-PINE) program initiated by this state. In order to achieve the goal, the following tasks have been fulfilled: review of the conception, essential definitions and terms of regional development and regionalism/sub-regionalism, discussion of the place of the regional level analysis in political theories of international relations; review and assessment of (sub)regionalism processes among Nordic-Baltic countries; evaluation of USA role in the region by taking into consideration the interests, motives and influence of this superpower on dynamics of regional cooperation within Northern and the Baltic States, and review and evaluation of the tendencies of cooperation of Northern and the Baltic States with USA. In order to achieve the goal and the tasks of this paper work, analytical descriptive, case study, document and comparative analysis methods were used. After the tasks are fulfilled, conclusions can be made that the most perspective self-realisation space of the Baltic States has recently been so-called Northern Arch – a dynamic region of the sovereign Baltic and Northern States maintaining close relations with transatlantic partners, the Great Britain and other EU states. USA declares the significance of those sub-regions as "a growing global partner". The superpower of the world formulates and maintains close relations with Northern and the Baltic States as with a separate region. Such distinction of the sub-region within the USA agenda (Programme of Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe) is already an obvious expression of designing its interests towards the Northern-Baltic direction.

In recent decades when the concept 'Regional Europe' is becoming more popular and regions are becoming more significant players on national and international levels, bigger attention is paid to regionalism studies and regionalisation processes as well. These processes have not bypassed Nordic countries, which promote cooperation within the Baltic region by involving the Baltic States into the regional processes as well. USA has received an important role in the processes of development of the Baltic Sea region, to which belong both Northern and the Baltic States; this region has become attractive to USA because of its increasing influence in the region and Europe, and it was a good opportunity for USA to maintain its influence in Europe after the end of the Cold war. The main object of this work is cooperation between Nordic - Baltic countries and USA in the context of development of the regional initiatives. This paper work tries to investigate dynamics of cooperation between Nordic and the Baltic States and USA by assessing the superpower impact and influence on cooperation of two sub-regional states in the Baltic Sea region. When assessing tendencies of cooperation between Northern and the Baltic States and USA, most attention is paid to the format (NB8+1) of regional group NB8 collaborating with USA, JAV, and Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (E-PINE) program initiated by this state. In order to achieve the goal, the following tasks have been fulfilled: review of the conception, essential definitions and terms of regional development and regionalism/sub-regionalism, discussion of the place of the regional level analysis in political theories of international relations; review and assessment of (sub)regionalism processes among Nordic-Baltic countries; evaluation of USA role in the region by taking into consideration the interests, motives and influence of this superpower on dynamics of regional cooperation within Northern and the Baltic States, and review and evaluation of the tendencies of cooperation of Northern and the Baltic States with USA. In order to achieve the goal and the tasks of this paper work, analytical descriptive, case study, document and comparative analysis methods were used. After the tasks are fulfilled, conclusions can be made that the most perspective self-realisation space of the Baltic States has recently been so-called Northern Arch – a dynamic region of the sovereign Baltic and Northern States maintaining close relations with transatlantic partners, the Great Britain and other EU states. USA declares the significance of those sub-regions as "a growing global partner". The superpower of the world formulates and maintains close relations with Northern and the Baltic States as with a separate region. Such distinction of the sub-region within the USA agenda (Programme of Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe) is already an obvious expression of designing its interests towards the Northern-Baltic direction.

In recent decades when the concept 'Regional Europe' is becoming more popular and regions are becoming more significant players on national and international levels, bigger attention is paid to regionalism studies and regionalisation processes as well. These processes have not bypassed Nordic countries, which promote cooperation within the Baltic region by involving the Baltic States into the regional processes as well. USA has received an important role in the processes of development of the Baltic Sea region, to which belong both Northern and the Baltic States; this region has become attractive to USA because of its increasing influence in the region and Europe, and it was a good opportunity for USA to maintain its influence in Europe after the end of the Cold war. The main object of this work is cooperation between Nordic - Baltic countries and USA in the context of development of the regional initiatives. This paper work tries to investigate dynamics of cooperation between Nordic and the Baltic States and USA by assessing the superpower impact and influence on cooperation of two sub-regional states in the Baltic Sea region. When assessing tendencies of cooperation between Northern and the Baltic States and USA, most attention is paid to the format (NB8+1) of regional group NB8 collaborating with USA, JAV, and Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (E-PINE) program initiated by this state. In order to achieve the goal, the following tasks have been fulfilled: review of the conception, essential definitions and terms of regional development and regionalism/sub-regionalism, discussion of the place of the regional level analysis in political theories of international relations; review and assessment of (sub)regionalism processes among Nordic-Baltic countries; evaluation of USA role in the region by taking into consideration the interests, motives and influence of this superpower on dynamics of regional cooperation within Northern and the Baltic States, and review and evaluation of the tendencies of cooperation of Northern and the Baltic States with USA. In order to achieve the goal and the tasks of this paper work, analytical descriptive, case study, document and comparative analysis methods were used. After the tasks are fulfilled, conclusions can be made that the most perspective self-realisation space of the Baltic States has recently been so-called Northern Arch – a dynamic region of the sovereign Baltic and Northern States maintaining close relations with transatlantic partners, the Great Britain and other EU states. USA declares the significance of those sub-regions as "a growing global partner". The superpower of the world formulates and maintains close relations with Northern and the Baltic States as with a separate region. Such distinction of the sub-region within the USA agenda (Programme of Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe) is already an obvious expression of designing its interests towards the Northern-Baltic direction.

In the Master's thesis the concept of youth policy is explored in more detail in the context of several related areas: first, with respect to Europeanization and the processes that influence it; second, the relationships between the EU and the Republic of Turkey in the area of youth policy; and third, the effects of the educational mobility programmes on the youth policy of the Republic of Turkey. The first cluster of issues includes a discussion of the youth paradigm, formulation and shaping of youth policy, the EU guidelines regarding this area, open method of coordination, and youth volunteer policy. The second group of questions deals with the European identity, the scope of Europeanization, activities of the Council of Europe, and the Bologna process. The last theoretical chapter is devoted to the analysis of relationships between the EU and the Republic of Turkey in the area of youth policy, the development of education in Turkey, as well as the links in youth policy between the EU and the Republic of Turkey. Chapter 4 presents the findings based on the analysis of the empirical material and statistical information. The analytical part concentrates on the effects of educational mobility programmes in implementing youth policy measures in the Republic of Turkey.

In the Master's thesis the concept of youth policy is explored in more detail in the context of several related areas: first, with respect to Europeanization and the processes that influence it; second, the relationships between the EU and the Republic of Turkey in the area of youth policy; and third, the effects of the educational mobility programmes on the youth policy of the Republic of Turkey. The first cluster of issues includes a discussion of the youth paradigm, formulation and shaping of youth policy, the EU guidelines regarding this area, open method of coordination, and youth volunteer policy. The second group of questions deals with the European identity, the scope of Europeanization, activities of the Council of Europe, and the Bologna process. The last theoretical chapter is devoted to the analysis of relationships between the EU and the Republic of Turkey in the area of youth policy, the development of education in Turkey, as well as the links in youth policy between the EU and the Republic of Turkey. Chapter 4 presents the findings based on the analysis of the empirical material and statistical information. The analytical part concentrates on the effects of educational mobility programmes in implementing youth policy measures in the Republic of Turkey.

With the promotion of lifelong learning, foreign museums pay considerable attention to adult education and are engaged in their art education by developing different specialized educational programmes. However, Lithuanian museums lack such programmes and work experience of adult teaching. The absence of scientific data on what particularities of adult education are displayed during educational activities in Lithuanian museums posed a problem for the study and showed that little research has been conducted in this field. The research focused on the particularities of adult art education in the activities of art museums and aimed at revealing them. To that end, the paper sets: 1) to discuss psychological and sociological development characteristics of adults; 2) to describe the conception of museum education, its forms of activities and aspects of development; 3) to reveal the specifics of adult education in the museum educational activities and the possibilities for art education; and 4) to look at the particularities of adult art education while carrying out educational activities in the museum of art. The research methods employed systematic analysis of scientific sources and the legislation regulating educational activities of the museums, the unstructured interview, the semi-structured interview, and the quantitative data analysis. The research produced the following results: 1. Stages of adult development are better determined by social rather than biological age of a person since the former has a greater impact on maturity of the person. 2. Museum education presents learning possibilities in the museum environment where displayed exhibits employed for educational purposes generate aesthetical satisfaction. Educational activities of art museums produce art users and art lovers. 3. The need for learning (training, teaching, etc.) and self-expression (creativeness, opportunities, etc.), the need for satisfaction/emotional expression and social interaction, and educational methods employed by the museum (practical activities, narration/presentation) determine the particularities of adult art education in the educational activities of art museums. 4. The aspects of educational methods, teaching/training and satisfaction/emotional expression identified through the interview of educators confirmed the needs expressed by adults.

With the promotion of lifelong learning, foreign museums pay considerable attention to adult education and are engaged in their art education by developing different specialized educational programmes. However, Lithuanian museums lack such programmes and work experience of adult teaching. The absence of scientific data on what particularities of adult education are displayed during educational activities in Lithuanian museums posed a problem for the study and showed that little research has been conducted in this field. The research focused on the particularities of adult art education in the activities of art museums and aimed at revealing them. To that end, the paper sets: 1) to discuss psychological and sociological development characteristics of adults; 2) to describe the conception of museum education, its forms of activities and aspects of development; 3) to reveal the specifics of adult education in the museum educational activities and the possibilities for art education; and 4) to look at the particularities of adult art education while carrying out educational activities in the museum of art. The research methods employed systematic analysis of scientific sources and the legislation regulating educational activities of the museums, the unstructured interview, the semi-structured interview, and the quantitative data analysis. The research produced the following results: 1. Stages of adult development are better determined by social rather than biological age of a person since the former has a greater impact on maturity of the person. 2. Museum education presents learning possibilities in the museum environment where displayed exhibits employed for educational purposes generate aesthetical satisfaction. Educational activities of art museums produce art users and art lovers. 3. The need for learning (training, teaching, etc.) and self-expression (creativeness, opportunities, etc.), the need for satisfaction/emotional expression and social interaction, and educational methods employed by the museum (practical activities, narration/presentation) determine the particularities of adult art education in the educational activities of art museums. 4. The aspects of educational methods, teaching/training and satisfaction/emotional expression identified through the interview of educators confirmed the needs expressed by adults.

Politicians of education of Lithuania emphasise the necessity to raise the prestige of the pedagogue's work; therefore, pedagogues' competence and qualification become particularly significant. This requires constant improvement and renewal; thus, learning of specialists of pre-school education becomes an integral part of their professional activity. Pedagogues' learning combines three ways: formal, non-formal and informal learning. Having carried out the analysis of scientific, methodical literature, it was noticed that currently pre-school education specialists are improving their professional competence combining all three ways of learning but there is no official or legitimated national or institutional model acknowledging knowledge acquired in the informal way. This creates a possibility for designing a new model for improving competencies of pre-school education pedagogues.

Politicians of education of Lithuania emphasise the necessity to raise the prestige of the pedagogue's work; therefore, pedagogues' competence and qualification become particularly significant. This requires constant improvement and renewal; thus, learning of specialists of pre-school education becomes an integral part of their professional activity. Pedagogues' learning combines three ways: formal, non-formal and informal learning. Having carried out the analysis of scientific, methodical literature, it was noticed that currently pre-school education specialists are improving their professional competence combining all three ways of learning but there is no official or legitimated national or institutional model acknowledging knowledge acquired in the informal way. This creates a possibility for designing a new model for improving competencies of pre-school education pedagogues.

Postmodernism is changing various areas of existence of nowadays: cognition, culture, politics. It is maintained that the most important peculiarity of postmodern reasoning is settling of competing epistemologies, which show that grand discourses, which used to ensure structural stability and definiteness of reality, have disappeared. Reality is perceived in a fragmented way because it is in a constant change and that is why its understanding is related to unpredictable logic and dynamics of heterogenised processes (Rubavičius, 2010). This causes emergence of human cognition paradox which is inevitably related to the question: Is it worth looking for and outlining essential characteristics of global post-industrial network knowledge or post-humanum? Namely this ideology raised not only the cult of freedom but also the cult of consumerism and for this reason there are more statements that contemporary civilisation that started in the West becomes non-civilised and loses its notional orientation (Grigas, 2007).

Postmodernism is changing various areas of existence of nowadays: cognition, culture, politics. It is maintained that the most important peculiarity of postmodern reasoning is settling of competing epistemologies, which show that grand discourses, which used to ensure structural stability and definiteness of reality, have disappeared. Reality is perceived in a fragmented way because it is in a constant change and that is why its understanding is related to unpredictable logic and dynamics of heterogenised processes (Rubavičius, 2010). This causes emergence of human cognition paradox which is inevitably related to the question: Is it worth looking for and outlining essential characteristics of global post-industrial network knowledge or post-humanum? Namely this ideology raised not only the cult of freedom but also the cult of consumerism and for this reason there are more statements that contemporary civilisation that started in the West becomes non-civilised and loses its notional orientation (Grigas, 2007).

Democratisation and Europeanisation of Post-socialist states can be regarded as long-lasting and complex processes. Mainly because of fragmented development of statehood and subordination to external states with distinct nature, post-communist states face transformations which are marked with much wider capacity than classical transitologists expected them to be. According to the emerged situation, it enforces to take more accurate glance at the very specific nature of the post-communist state. The case of Moldova democratisation and europeanization perfectly suits these analytical aspirations. First of all, very weak background of Moldovan state determines emergence of distinct opinions about particular historical-cultural artifacts, statehood and possible trajectories of further state development. Division of opinions not only fragments approach towards national identity, but also exacerbates democratisation and europeanisation processes. Secondly, Moldova lacks not only the experience with statehood, but also faces political and normative heritage of ancient regimes. Because of that there are certain problems of implementing democratic values in Moldova. It means struggle with widespread corruption, as well as with the Soviet-style methods and practices. Namely the legacy of the Soviet system, such as a politically passive and apathetic population, authoritarian political aspirations shading with the formal mechanisms of democracy, the weak and poor democratic political culture - all of this undermines the country's democratisation and its European ambitions. Thirdly, Moldova is small post-soviet country, which geopolitically stands in the core of intersection between European Union and Russian interests. Because of that Moldova has to balance between two structural powers and respectively to design its further development path. Thus, the development of Moldova's democratisation and europeanisation is crucially dependent on two competing subjects, namely European Union and Russia, and their capacity to influence Moldova's political processes. In the context of transitology approach case study of Moldova reveals that internal design and external orientation of post-soviet state strongly depends on both, internal and external dynamics. Thus, post-communist transition can be regarded as much more complicated comparing with scholarly efforts to conceptualize transition processes that took place in Latin America or Southern Europe.

This article focuses on the changes in social care sector which took place in Europe and after the restitution of independence in Lithuania the last decades and are named as privatization. In social care sector privatization is known as a process of services provision by non-profit public agencies (NGOs), informal sector and by profit agencies. These changes can be explained by actor and new-institutionalism theories as well as by the mix of these two theories. This article presents general privatisation concept and potential patterns as well as peculiarities of these in social care (social work services) sector. According to the actor theory, the expansion or decline of welfare state is understood as results of individuals or collectives' rational actions. As rational actors cope with different previous political decisions, institutional frames and other limitations and possibilities it is useful to analyse privatization in the light of new-institutionalism theory as well. According to the new-institutionalism theory, the institutions of welfare state are reflected and formed by choices and strategies of actors. The way and models of privatization depend on welfare state institutions. Two ideal institutional types are separated – pluralist and corporatist institutions. Analysis of these ideal institutional types' differences defining regulation, organization, financing and production helps to explain the extent and models of privatization.