Suchergebnisse

The transition processes in post-soviet area show the lack of knowledge and experiences in conflict resolution, when the authorities, the organisations and individuals have to solve the controversial problems as well as conflicts of interests and values. The first part of the article represents the scope of ideas and practices of conflict resolution and conciliation in international relations. The actions of the Security Council of the UNO and some agreements of the European Conference for Security and Co-operation have been surveyed as having sense of peace-keeping, peace-making and peace-building. In the process of European integration some political and legal mechanisms were approved with the mean to conciliate controversities between the members and candidates of the EU. Using them the European Community functions as a whole, and the process of joining new members is sequent and progressive. The philosophy and experience of conflict resolution and conciliation is applicable in many cases of the states internal affairs. In the next part of the article the author examines applications and development of conciliation procedures in social life of Lithuania. One of such examples is three parts roundtable between representatives of governmental bodies, employers and trade unions on issues of social politics, unemployment, payment etc. developing the rules and incentives for strengthening the culture of conflict resolution in social life serves the new democracy. The next direction in which conciliation and conflict resolution has been used is third party participation in community and family conflicts. Several projects on mediation have been accomplished in Lithuania. They were aimed to train mediators and to educate individuals in what circumstances they may be served by mediators. The author examines in which way peace-making procedures can be used in public administration. The Lithuanian laws regulate some principles of administrating to avoid or prevent disputes between the governmental bodies and the citizen and interest groups as well as (for example one-window rule in servicing the applicator). Lithuania as other post-communist countries has to develop the culture of conflict resolution and conciliation to ensure social and communal stability. ; Transformaciniuose procesuose, kuriuos mes išgyvename, išryškėjo žmonių ir organizacijų, verslo įmonių, valdžios institucijų bendravimo ir bendradarbiavimo, gebėjimo spręsti sudėtingus ir prieštaringus klausimus problemiškumas, vertybių ir interesų konfliktų prevencijos ir valdymo aktualumas. Straipsnyje pristatoma konfliktų sprendimo ir taikinamosios veiklos idėjų ir praktinio patyrimo raida pasaulyje. Apžvelgiamos tos mūsų gyvenimo sritys, kur pradeda rastis kryptinga taikinamoji veikla, svarstomos tolesnės plėtotės galimybės, ypač kreipiant dėmesį į žmogaus santykius su kitais ir į viešąjį administravimą.

While the department of social pedagogics was participating in the international TEMPUS project from 1995 to 1998, the experiments related to the need of social teachers and possibilities of professional functions and questions of professional preparation were held in Klaipėda region. The results of these experiments led to such the following conclusions: 1. All teachers need knowledge and experience of social work. Social teacher who is totally prepared and has obtained practical work experience is significantly needed not only for child care organizations but also for secondary education schools. Similarities and differences of class teacher's and social teacher's activities were observed during the experiments and the possibilities of social teachers successful activities at secondary schools were analysed. 2. While preparing social teachers for educational and child care institutions, specialization is essential as well as specification of their meetings with different educational and care organizations. Special formation of the skills of social activities is essential for future social workers. Work practice, non-formal students' activities and volunteers' work could help to establish this process. Course in the social work for preparation of social workers for educational institutions have to be closely related with practice. 3. It is necessary to evaluate norms of government social and educational institutions. (Extremely formal contacts between these institutions, with only occasional communications, as well as no interest or no care about further child's fortune were identified). 4. Until now, little attention has been given to family problems in Lithuania. It is necessary to develop the initiatives and enthusiasm of future teachers. They need to be able fundamentally to help the child and the family, to reduce and eliminate the reasons for problems occurring. Future teachers need to take initiative and responsibility while creating social projects and implementing them. It is essential to develop the process of selection for future professionals in social pedagogics. Future social teachers need to have clear features of honesty, social skills and work experience. Therefore when accepting students to the social worker's profession, not only the marks of their secondary school diploma should be considered but also personal characteristics and experience.

While the department of social pedagogics was participating in the international TEMPUS project from 1995 to 1998, the experiments related to the need of social teachers and possibilities of professional functions and questions of professional preparation were held in Klaipėda region. The results of these experiments led to such the following conclusions: 1. All teachers need knowledge and experience of social work. Social teacher who is totally prepared and has obtained practical work experience is significantly needed not only for child care organizations but also for secondary education schools. Similarities and differences of class teacher's and social teacher's activities were observed during the experiments and the possibilities of social teachers successful activities at secondary schools were analysed. 2. While preparing social teachers for educational and child care institutions, specialization is essential as well as specification of their meetings with different educational and care organizations. Special formation of the skills of social activities is essential for future social workers. Work practice, non-formal students' activities and volunteers' work could help to establish this process. Course in the social work for preparation of social workers for educational institutions have to be closely related with practice. 3. It is necessary to evaluate norms of government social and educational institutions. (Extremely formal contacts between these institutions, with only occasional communications, as well as no interest or no care about further child's fortune were identified). 4. Until now, little attention has been given to family problems in Lithuania. It is necessary to develop the initiatives and enthusiasm of future teachers. They need to be able fundamentally to help the child and the family, to reduce and eliminate the reasons for problems occurring. Future teachers need to take initiative and responsibility while creating social projects and implementing them. It is essential to develop the process of selection for future professionals in social pedagogics. Future social teachers need to have clear features of honesty, social skills and work experience. Therefore when accepting students to the social worker's profession, not only the marks of their secondary school diploma should be considered but also personal characteristics and experience.

The article emphasizes that accounts of European social policy generally present a minimalist interpretation of European Union involvement. The sovereign nation-state allows no relevant role for the EU in social policy. The Union's sphere is market building, leaving social policy to citizenfocused, national welfare state, its sovereignty formally untouched though perhaps endangered indirectly by growing economic interdependency. Three welfare state models (liberal, social-democratic, conservative) are discussed in the article. The author highlights that the welfare states are national states. The article defines and discusses European social model as a set of European Community and member-state legal regulations, but also as a range of practices aimed at promoting a comprehensive social policy in the European Union. The European social model has developed alongside the different steps taken towards European integration, that confirms how this model is related to EU economic and political integration. The common values, that includes European social model, such as democracy, individual rights, free collective bargaining, equality of opportunity for all, and social welfare and solidarity are discussed in the article. The article gives the set of different elements of the European social model major of them labour law on worker's rights, employment, equal opportunities, antidiscrimination, etc., that can be characterized as "European society". The progress of European social model depends on the growth of European economies, the development of knowledge societies, and the modernization of work organization that requires constant adaptation. ; Straipsnio tikslas – nustatyti pagrindinius Europos socialinio modelio bruožus ir elementus, aptarti svarbiausias vertybines nuostatas, atskleisti šio modelio problemiškumą ir santykinumą Europos Sąjungoje. Tuo tikslu analizuojama socialinės politikos raida nuo Europos Bendrijos sukūrimo iki paskutiniosios Europos Sąjungos plėtros Vidurio ir Rytų Europos link, atskleidžiamas jos vaidmuo integraciniuose procesuose ir transformacija nuo ekonominės politikos priedėlio į savarankišką politiką. Straipsnyje aptariama gerovės valstybės samprata ir modeliai, pabrėžiamas jos nacionalinis pobūdis. Išryškinant valstybės narės nacionalinės socialinės politikos ir ES socialinės politikos skirtumus, pabrėžiami pastarosios socialinio reguliavimo uždaviniai.

Contemporary political science has long been focused less on the policy content than on "polity" & "politics," in particular. In the middle of the last century, many political scientists decided that such a self-restraint poses certain difficulties, deciding to launch discussions on how the social scientists can & should examine policy. Harold Lasswell's 1951 essay "The Policy Orientation" has launched the discussions. Here, Lasswell claimed that policy research should be separated from a traditional research, ie., focusing on theory, the subject & descriptive in terms of the style it pursues. An essay may, beyond doubt, be described as one of the political science's classics. Not because Lasswell in the space he had, managed to think with subtlety & in depth from a theoretical point of view, but for the reason that he clarified the parameters that later became decisive in analyzing the content of what politics is: analysis must focus on problems; it must be multi-subject & clearly normative. Thus, these three parameters become the part of the fundamental criteria the European Association of Public Administration Accreditation, founded in 1999, uses in accrediting European public education systems. In spite of the fact that many had agreed on the requirements Lasswell posed with regard to public policy as the focus of the social sciences, there was still a lack of common understanding on how these requirements should be implement. To the contrary, they have become the object of unresolved vigorous discussions. Some might interpret this as a weakness of policy analysis, yet some would see this as a proof of healthiness, ie., that the public policy analysts develop the subject of their expertise. Adapted from the source document.

The article deals with the impact of globalization on social security & social exclusion in Lithuania for the first time in Lithuanian social sciences literature. The article consists of 5 parts: in the first part "globalization risk" & related non-traditional methodology is examined, in the second part the relation between globalization & glocalization is analyzed, in the third part of the article the changes of Lithuanian macrosocial indicators are examined, in the fourth part the role of libertarian ideology & practice for social exclusion development is shown & the fifth part reveals the positive & negative shifts in Lithuanian state social security. The author relies on Lithuanian macrosocial data & tries to prove that parallelly with globalization its antipode -- glocalization -- is thriving in the social processes. Globalization impact on social exclusion may be understood not only in its narrow sense -- as marginalization of different "traditional" social risk groups but also in the wider meaning because globalization is raising risks for many life spheres & even for entire society. Globalization often positively influences the social position of the "winners" & enables their better self-realization. But globalization often negatively influences the situation of the "losers" when they are imprisoned in glocalization for the longer or shorter time without any clear perspectives to rise. Among social security backwardness & the reasons of social exclusion formation were: a) the lack of financial resources, b) accelerating globalization & transformation rates -- when the system could not "develop into deepness" but was forced to chase headlong perfunctory all the time accelerating processes. The strife was followed not against the reasons but against the separate negative social consequences. The preventive activities were very limited, c) the lack of new progressive administrative theories & decisions, d) insufficient development of social policy, social security & social exclusion research, e) frequent confinement of social administration agents on barely theoretical solutions & solving problems "on paper," f) unfavorable international & native influence of ideology & practice of extreme liberalism. The article shows that globalization had influenced the distinctive administrative reforms & measures in Lithuania, which have given controversial results (New Public Management, private pensions funds reform, development of social services). The conclusion is possible to make that characteristic contradiction in Lithuanian social security is between organizational maturity & scarcity of real results after implementation of social security measures. Adapted from the source document.

All the sciences and even philosophical, ethic thinking and also practice are grounded by so called "line - thinking", which is efective in only limited sphere and time as synergetic paradigmus born in the 20 century. Unfortunately propositions under "line thinking" influence gave miserable results as much in politics as in government. The article shortly deals with some paradoxical synergetic confirmities (regularities) and the first observed results and chances of their using in the prevention of crimes, goverment in connection with the problem of theory and practice. It is suggested to change "strategic planing" conception into "strategic thinking" concept which joins theory and practice most effectively. In conclusion, connect of theory and practice are visible in teleonomy of emergetic evolution of social processes which are expressed namely by "strategic thinking" as intentionality obeyed to the same synergetic laws.

All the sciences and even philosophical, ethic thinking and also practice are grounded by so called "line - thinking", which is efective in only limited sphere and time as synergetic paradigmus born in the 20 century. Unfortunately propositions under "line thinking" influence gave miserable results as much in politics as in government. The article shortly deals with some paradoxical synergetic confirmities (regularities) and the first observed results and chances of their using in the prevention of crimes, goverment in connection with the problem of theory and practice. It is suggested to change "strategic planing" conception into "strategic thinking" concept which joins theory and practice most effectively. In conclusion, connect of theory and practice are visible in teleonomy of emergetic evolution of social processes which are expressed namely by "strategic thinking" as intentionality obeyed to the same synergetic laws.

Representation politics of ethnic minorities in Lithuania and Latvia subsumes different minor ethnic groups under one category of minorities' ethnicity. This model of common identity is shaped by juridical and political discourses representing an out-group definition. Differences in everyday cultural practices and social distance among ethnic groups set ethnic boundaries and indicate different strategies of social identity construction for each group. An in-group perspective challenges an image of a common identity and demonstrates its fictive nature.

Representation politics of ethnic minorities in Lithuania and Latvia subsumes different minor ethnic groups under one category of minorities' ethnicity. This model of common identity is shaped by juridical and political discourses representing an out-group definition. Differences in everyday cultural practices and social distance among ethnic groups set ethnic boundaries and indicate different strategies of social identity construction for each group. An in-group perspective challenges an image of a common identity and demonstrates its fictive nature.

Representation politics of ethnic minorities in Lithuania and Latvia subsumes different minor ethnic groups under one category of minorities' ethnicity. This model of common identity is shaped by juridical and political discourses representing an out-group definition. Differences in everyday cultural practices and social distance among ethnic groups set ethnic boundaries and indicate different strategies of social identity construction for each group. An in-group perspective challenges an image of a common identity and demonstrates its fictive nature.

Representation politics of ethnic minorities in Lithuania and Latvia subsumes different minor ethnic groups under one category of minorities' ethnicity. This model of common identity is shaped by juridical and political discourses representing an out-group definition. Differences in everyday cultural practices and social distance among ethnic groups set ethnic boundaries and indicate different strategies of social identity construction for each group. An in-group perspective challenges an image of a common identity and demonstrates its fictive nature.

One of the brand new areas of historiography is analyzed. Availing of the research of historical conscience launched in Germany, the author explores the possibility of applying this new practice to the analysis of Lithuanians' historical conscience. The perspectives, theoretical-methodological objectives & tasks are analyzed. Special attention is drawn to the ideological aspect of a historical conscience & to the problem of "left" & "right" in the Lithuanians' mass conscience during the last decade. A relationship between the "left" & "right" identity & a specific version of the past being defended, an attempt by Lithuania's politicians to manipulate the historical perspectives, a tendency toward mythologization as evident in Lithuania's contemporary historical conscience is emphasized. Adapted from the source document.

In solving the problem of preserving its sovereignty and assurances of connection with Kaliningrad, Moscow turned that Oblast into a geopolitical hostage - a territory that it received as the spoils of war in the process of cession whereby it is sought not only to maintain (the internal aspect) but also to force other countries or international institutions to carry out or abstain from carrying out any act as direct or indirect liberation of the hostage (the external aspect). Due to the specific situation of the Kaliningrad Oblast (the Potsdam train, geographical position, social-economic factors) it is the interior aspect that might be of more significance to Moscow, which is officially "covered" by the exterior one. Formally Moscow does not oppose, and even encourages that the Kaliningrad Oblast should be treated as a specific, unique region of Russia. However, in practice it does not allow this peculiarity to manifest itself. In this way it seeks to stimulate and maintain the Stockholm syndrome in the Oblast - the residents of Kaliningrad themselves must put up with the status of an ordinary Russian region. In the article are presented concrete cases revealing how this mechanism of a Russian hostage functions in political practice: by involving the Kaliningrad exclave into the "high politics" to create the air of its peculiarity, and at the level of the "low politics, though keeping alive hopes of peculiarity in the exclave, by preventing them from being realised in. [to full text]

In solving the problem of preserving its sovereignty and assurances of connection with Kaliningrad, Moscow turned that Oblast into a geopolitical hostage - a territory that it received as the spoils of war in the process of cession whereby it is sought not only to maintain (the internal aspect) but also to force other countries or international institutions to carry out or abstain from carrying out any act as direct or indirect liberation of the hostage (the external aspect). Due to the specific situation of the Kaliningrad Oblast (the Potsdam train, geographical position, social-economic factors) it is the interior aspect that might be of more significance to Moscow, which is officially "covered" by the exterior one. Formally Moscow does not oppose, and even encourages that the Kaliningrad Oblast should be treated as a specific, unique region of Russia. However, in practice it does not allow this peculiarity to manifest itself. In this way it seeks to stimulate and maintain the Stockholm syndrome in the Oblast - the residents of Kaliningrad themselves must put up with the status of an ordinary Russian region. In the article are presented concrete cases revealing how this mechanism of a Russian hostage functions in political practice: by involving the Kaliningrad exclave into the "high politics" to create the air of its peculiarity, and at the level of the "low politics, though keeping alive hopes of peculiarity in the exclave, by preventing them from being realised in. [to full text]