The paper analyses the change in the level of social generalized trust (or trust in people in general) and political trust (or public trust in political institutions) in the three Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia). The study covers data of the period from 1990 to 2018 that allows monitoring whether and how level of trust in the societies of these countries has changed under democratic conditions. Analysis of international comparative studies shows that the level of social and political trust in the Baltic States remained similar during the study period, although overall there has been a slight increase, in particular of trust in political institutions. Comparing the countries, it can be stated that Estonia has managed to accumulate bigger reserve of trust than Latvia or Lithuania. In the latter, trust in the country's political institutions remains relatively low; in all three countries the level of social trust can be described as moderate, with around one third of citizens trusting other people in general. Also, a very low public trust in political parties is commonly characteristic to the three states. Data reveal a tendency of externalisation of political trust. Though citizen of all three Baltic countries have higher than EU average levels of trust in European institutions, the gap between levels of public trust in national and EU institutions is in particular characteristic for Latvia and Lithuania (whereas Estonians trust national and EU institutions at similar levels). Lacking trust in national governments and parliaments, Lithuanians and Latvians tend to compensate placing more trust in the EU institutions. Though the three Baltic States had a similar path of transformation into democratic system, the ability to accumulate trust in people and institutions is somewhat different. The data show that Estonia is slightly more successful in formation of culture of trust whereas Latvia and Lithuania continuously have lower levels of trust over the period.
The paper analyses the change in the level of social generalized trust (or trust in people in general) and political trust (or public trust in political institutions) in the three Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia). The study covers data of the period from 1990 to 2018 that allows monitoring whether and how level of trust in the societies of these countries has changed under democratic conditions. Analysis of international comparative studies shows that the level of social and political trust in the Baltic States remained similar during the study period, although overall there has been a slight increase, in particular of trust in political institutions. Comparing the countries, it can be stated that Estonia has managed to accumulate bigger reserve of trust than Latvia or Lithuania. In the latter, trust in the country's political institutions remains relatively low; in all three countries the level of social trust can be described as moderate, with around one third of citizens trusting other people in general. Also, a very low public trust in political parties is commonly characteristic to the three states. Data reveal a tendency of externalisation of political trust. Though citizen of all three Baltic countries have higher than EU average levels of trust in European institutions, the gap between levels of public trust in national and EU institutions is in particular characteristic for Latvia and Lithuania (whereas Estonians trust national and EU institutions at similar levels). Lacking trust in national governments and parliaments, Lithuanians and Latvians tend to compensate placing more trust in the EU institutions. Though the three Baltic States had a similar path of transformation into democratic system, the ability to accumulate trust in people and institutions is somewhat different. The data show that Estonia is slightly more successful in formation of culture of trust whereas Latvia and Lithuania continuously have lower levels of trust over the period.
The paper analyses the change in the level of social generalized trust (or trust in people in general) and political trust (or public trust in political institutions) in the three Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia). The study covers data of the period from 1990 to 2018 that allows monitoring whether and how level of trust in the societies of these countries has changed under democratic conditions. Analysis of international comparative studies shows that the level of social and political trust in the Baltic States remained similar during the study period, although overall there has been a slight increase, in particular of trust in political institutions. Comparing the countries, it can be stated that Estonia has managed to accumulate bigger reserve of trust than Latvia or Lithuania. In the latter, trust in the country's political institutions remains relatively low; in all three countries the level of social trust can be described as moderate, with around one third of citizens trusting other people in general. Also, a very low public trust in political parties is commonly characteristic to the three states. Data reveal a tendency of externalisation of political trust. Though citizen of all three Baltic countries have higher than EU average levels of trust in European institutions, the gap between levels of public trust in national and EU institutions is in particular characteristic for Latvia and Lithuania (whereas Estonians trust national and EU institutions at similar levels). Lacking trust in national governments and parliaments, Lithuanians and Latvians tend to compensate placing more trust in the EU institutions. Though the three Baltic States had a similar path of transformation into democratic system, the ability to accumulate trust in people and institutions is somewhat different. The data show that Estonia is slightly more successful in formation of culture of trust whereas Latvia and Lithuania continuously have lower levels of trust over the period.
The paper analyses the change in the level of social generalized trust (or trust in people in general) and political trust (or public trust in political institutions) in the three Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia). The study covers data of the period from 1990 to 2018 that allows monitoring whether and how level of trust in the societies of these countries has changed under democratic conditions. Analysis of international comparative studies shows that the level of social and political trust in the Baltic States remained similar during the study period, although overall there has been a slight increase, in particular of trust in political institutions. Comparing the countries, it can be stated that Estonia has managed to accumulate bigger reserve of trust than Latvia or Lithuania. In the latter, trust in the country's political institutions remains relatively low; in all three countries the level of social trust can be described as moderate, with around one third of citizens trusting other people in general. Also, a very low public trust in political parties is commonly characteristic to the three states. Data reveal a tendency of externalisation of political trust. Though citizen of all three Baltic countries have higher than EU average levels of trust in European institutions, the gap between levels of public trust in national and EU institutions is in particular characteristic for Latvia and Lithuania (whereas Estonians trust national and EU institutions at similar levels). Lacking trust in national governments and parliaments, Lithuanians and Latvians tend to compensate placing more trust in the EU institutions. Though the three Baltic States had a similar path of transformation into democratic system, the ability to accumulate trust in people and institutions is somewhat different. The data show that Estonia is slightly more successful in formation of culture of trust whereas Latvia and Lithuania continuously have lower levels of trust over the period.
The focus group method continues to gain applicability in social work research. The article provides the rationale to use focus groups for a variety of research purposes in social work context. It aims at discussing practical aspects that constitute focus group research process. Based on the author's research experience and common guidelines for focus groups in social research, in addition specific implications coming from social work context are outlined. Though it is considered that focus groups are relatively easy to conduct, the article shows that in practice a researcher has to be aware of possible difficulties as well as alternative approaches towards focus group process. The role of moderator, selection of participants, deciding upon structure as well as technical requirements are discussed in detail. An exemplary framework for focus group discussion is provided for efficient planning and moderating of focus group. The article aims at social work practitioners who may find focus group useful for their research needs providing with tips for efficient practice of focus group research. ; Straipsnyje aptariamos focus grupės metodo taikymo socialinio darbo tyrimuose galimybės. Šis metodas, jau ilgai taikomas marketingo ir vartotojų tyrimuose, paskutiniais dešimtmečiais plačiai taikomas ir įvairiose socialinių mokslų srityse, pavyzdžiui, sociologijoje ar socialiniame darbe. Focus grupė – tai kokybinis interviu-diskusija su grupe tikslingai atrinktų tyrimo dalyvių. Focus grupės išsiskiria tuo, kad jų metu fiksuojama ne tik žodinė informacija, tačiau labai svarbus informacijos šaltinis yra dalyvių tarpusavio sąveika diskusijos metu. Focus grupės diskusijos atliekamos laikantis bendrųjų metodologinių ir metodinių taisyklių. Tačiau jų taikymas socialinio darbo praktikoje atskleidžia, kad specifinė tyrimo aplinka gali lemti ir šių taisyklių koregavimą ar keitimą. Remiantis autorės tiriamosios veiklos patirtimi bei bendraisias focus grupių atlikimo principais, atskleidžiama, kokie socialinio darbo veiklos tikslai ir vertybės gali turėti įtakos focus grupių specifikai. Socialinio darbo tyrimų tikslai dažniau yra taikomieji, neretai susiję su pažeidžiamomis tikslinėmis grupėmis, informacija renkama tiesioginėje socialinio darbo praktikos aplinkoje. Todėl planuojant ir atliekant šiuos tyrimus, svarbu atsižvelgti į galimus tyrimo dalyvių savitumus, įvertinti diskusijos temos tinkamumą, apsvarstyti galimus sunkumus moderuojant focus grupės diskusiją socialinio darbo kontekste. Straipsnyje pateikiamos į praktinius tiriamosios veiklos aspektus orientuotos rekomendacijos, apimančios focus grupės moderatoriaus funkcijas, focus grupės dalyvių atranką, focus grupės aplinkos parametrus bei duomenų fiksavimo reikalavimus. Straipsnyje siūlomas pavyzdinis focus grupės scenarijaus planas, apimantis tiek pagrindinius focus grupės diskusijos eigos žingsnius, tiek naudingas rekomendacijas focus grupės moderatoriui.
In an ageing society facing challenges for the sustainable well-being of older adults, there has been an increasing focus on the potential of soft power in recent years. Like economic and structural, social indicators can become integral indicators of older generations' well-being. This study aims to propose a construct of the social embeddedness of older adults and its measurement tool, based on a critical review of the literature and the results of an original empirical study, to fill the knowledge gap in current statistics in the field. A critical review of the literature has disclosed that, despite many studies done, we do not have a methodological tool suitable for revealing patterns of social ties specific to older adults. The results of an empirical study of the population aged 50 and over in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (N = 2015) showed that the social embeddedness of older people in the Baltics is composed of these domains: socialisation with descendants, nonfamily and outside home – together named as social participation; civic participation and sense of belonging. Future research should look at ways to shorten this scale to adapt it to the needs of practical use.
The paper presents the activities of one of many Lithuanian NGOs—the Lithuanian Red Cross Society (hereinafter—"LRCS"). The goal of the study to analyse: the contribution of the LRCS to the reduction of poverty and social exclusion in Lithuania. To reach this goal, the following tasks have been presented: to study the spread of poverty and social segregation in Lithuania; to analyse the role of the NGO in social care provisioning aimed towards alleviating poverty and social segregation; to identify the practical LRCS activity problems; to state the target LRCS activity groups, i.e. care takers' specifics. The problem of research: LRCS activity does not satisfy the care takers' needs. The methods of the analysis are research literature, statistical data, sociological studies results; multiple reports analysis have been applied in the paper, while targeting to scrutinize the spread of poverty and social exclusion in Lithuania; to analyse the role of the NGO in social care provisioning, aimed towards alleviating poverty and social segregation. Quantitative study results have allowed the identification of the problems of the main practical activities of LRCS and the target groups for the activities of LRCS, namely: the specifics of recipients of services. Also efforts were made to find the answer as to why LRCS is unable to satisfy the needs of the recipients of their services. The interview method for information acquisition has been applied: questionnaires have been designed for both LRCS employees and recipients of LRCS services. Research literature analysis and statistical data show that the level of poverty and social exclusion in the recent decade has not been reduced. Recent studies prove that poverty and social segregation is one of the top social problems, and that the role of NGOs in poverty reduction and alleviation of social segregation, by providing social services, is unconditionally essential. During the quantitative analysis, it was found that uncertainty on the activities of LRCS and a lack of professional knowledge was possessed by its employees. Also, both cooperation with governmental organizations and the lack of support from them compounded the main problems on the activity of LRCS. The following specifics of the recipients of services are defined: low education, passivity, unemployment, lack of income, begging LRCS for financial help. ; Nemažėjantis, o priešingai, nuolat augantis skurdas – Lietuvoje 2000 m. skurdo apie 16 proc. žmonių, o 2010 m. – jau 20,2 proc. – leidžia daryti prielaidą, kad, nepaisant visų valstybės priemonių, skurdo problema vis dar neefektyviai sprendžiama ir reikalauja visos visuomenės sutelktų pastangų. Valstybės teikiamų paslaugų nepakankamumas skatina įtraukti į socialinių paslaugų teikimą nevyriausybines organizacijas (NVO), nes tiesiogiai iš žmonių poreikių kylanti jų veikla pasižymi lankstumu ir partneryste. Jos dažnai sprendžia tokias nepopuliarias socialines problemas, kurioms viešoji valdžia ir politikai skiria nepakankamai arba visai neskiria jokio dėmesio. Sraipsnio tyrimo objektas – vienos seniausių Lietuvos NVO – Lietuvos Raudonojo Kryžiaus draugijos (LRKD) veikla. Tyrimo tikslas – ištirti LRKD veiklą prisidedant prie skurdo ir socialinės atskirties mažinimo Lietuvoje. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros, dokumentų ir statistinių duomenų analizė, anketinė apklausa. Tyrimas atliktas 2011 m. Apklausoje dalyvavo 53 LRKD darbuotojai ir 333 paslaugų gavėjai. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad LRKD neabejotinai prisideda prie skurdo ir atskirties mažinimo, ir padėjo identifikuoti pagrindines draugijos veiklos problemas: LRKD darbuotojų teorinių žinių trūkumą, veiklos neapibrėžtumą, individualizuotų veiklos planų skyriuose nebuvimą, lėšų trūkumą, mažą draugijos narių skaičių, bendradarbiavimo su kitomis organizacijomis ir valstybinių institucijų palaikymo stoką. LRKD paslaugų gavėjų anketinės apklausos rezultatai leido nustatyti šios tikslinės grupės dominuojančius ypatumus: vidurinį ir žemesnį išsilavinimą, nedalyvavimą darbo rinkoje, pasyvumą, nepasitikėjimą, neigiamas asmenines nuostatas; žinių apie LRKD bei jos teikiamas paslaugas trūkumą; pajamų šaltinio neturėjimą arba gaunamų pašalpų nepakankamumą. LRKD pagrindinių praktinės veiklos problemų atskleidimas bei paslaugų gavėjų ypatumų nustatymas leidžia ieškoti efektyvių problemų sprendimo būdų, padidinti LRKD socialinių paslaugų teikimo veiksmingumą bei kokybę.
A clear understanding of terminology is crucial in any academic field. When it is clear that complex interdisciplinary concepts are interpreted differently depending on the academic field, geographical setting or cultural values, it is time to take action. Given this, the Glossary for Academic Integrity, newly developed by the European Network for Academic Integrity project, served as the basis for compiling a comprehensive taxonomy of terms related to academic integrity. Following a rigorous coding exercise, the taxonomy was partitioned into three constituent components – Integrity, Misconduct and Neutral terms. A review of relevant literature sources is included, and the strengths and weaknesses of existing taxonomies are discussed in relation to this new offering. During the creation of these artefacts the authors identified and resolved many differences between their individual interpretative understandings of concepts/terms and the viewpoints of others. It is anticipated that the freely-available glossary and taxonomy will be explored and valued by researchers, teachers, students and the general public alike.
