Tiltai

This article analyses business market change factors of travel agencies in Lithuania. Travel agencies and organizers represent an important part of tourism sector, which includes all functions and forms of tourism as well as reflects the trends of this industry. Travel agency business is affected by intense external and internal market change factors. The problem of the research raised in the introduction is that business conditions of the travel agencies are getting complicated. There are two principal external factors that made the most significant impact on travel agency market: internet with new information technologies and deregulation of passenger air transport. The article identifies internal change factors of travel agency business market, analyses emerging challenges and their impact, and the managerial response is analysed which would help travel agencies survive in this business.

The article is devoted to the study of socio-cultural environment of the student youth as a reference group of professional socialization. According to the collected theoretical and practical material, the development components, trends and standards are reviewed. The research results show that the process of unsuccessful professional socialization and adaptation, which may result in a process of social exclusion, also deserves careful research attention. The obstacles of successful professional socialization are mentioned, such as a sharp increase in social differentiation and changes in the structure of public relations, which act as factors – demotivators of the process of professional socialization. It is emphasized that the main determinant of stabilization should act as handling social conflicts (misunderstandings), which is inevitable. It is noted that the initial professional socialization within the university as a social institution can be seen as a means of reducing social conflicts, because in the professional socialization and proper labor standards and values, the greatest achievement of combining norms and values is held.

The aim of this article is to evaluate the changes of Lithuanian family with children support policy during the years 1996–2013. Using concept of change of policy paradigm we try to reveal which trends of Lithuanian family support policy reflects the changes of legal social security framework and expenditure on family social support in the period 1996–2013. It is made an attempt to answer the question can we talk about clearer directions of this policy, certain systematic, paradigmatic changes or only about inessential improvements of existing policy. In the context of path dependence concept it is discussed how new paradigms of family support policy are developing or why old paradigms remain. According to the analysis of legal framework and expenditure for family social risk, during the years 1996–2013 family support policy experienced various improvements, corrections, reformings. However, if the policy change understood systematically, as the unit of objectives, principles, instruments, resources and public support, we cannot identify paradigmatic changes in this policy in Lithuania.

The article analyses the satisfaction of employee needs in Lithuanian organisations, according to

Across the social work and social pedagogy educational programmes in Sweden, the nature and process of curriculum designs require engagement with multiple stakeholders within a highly complex context. A number of studies have identified diverse models of academic collaborations derived from various theoretical positions and environmental influences. This article explores collaborative creativity embedded in Swedish national and international Erasmus networking. Research participants consisted of teaching staff, fieldworkers, experts and researchers. This study goes on to propose knowledge alliances as action models for capacity building in social pedagogy and social work professional practice. It is concluded that sharing information and perspectives on, for example, contextual aspects and theoretical viewpoints in which scholars and practitioners operate, provides inspiration for capacity building in social pedagogical educational settings. This article has been prepared within the framework of the project ‘Social Professions for Youth Education in the Context of European Solidarity’ (2019-1-PL 01-KA203-065091).

Straipsnyje atskleidžiama vaiko sampratų ir vaikystės fenomenų socialinių-kultūrinių prasmių raidos genezė. Tuo pagrindu nagrinėjamas vaikystės fenomenų tyrimų socialinis-edukacinis prasmingumas. Pasitelkiami socialiniai, filosofiniai ir kultūriniai antropologiniai kontekstai, atskleidžiantys, kaip suvokiant vaikystės fenomenų prasmes galima atlikti į vaikystės ir vaiko pasaulį orientuotus kokybinius tyrimus. Plačiau analizuojami vaikų metaforinio mąstymo fenomenologiniai, hermeneutiniai ir psichokognityviniai kontekstai. Atskleidžiama vaiko metaforinio mąstymo fenomenologinių reikšmių genezė: nuo žinių prie prasmių, nuo ugdymo proceso, kuris reiškia „turėti“, prie proceso, kuris reiškia būti su vaiku, pedagogui išliekant tarpininku tarp socialinės realybės pasaulio ir vaiko pasaulio.

The article aims to justify the relevance of communication competence in the process of professional development. There is taken into consideration the connection of concept “social” with trends and priorities of economy and policy, changes in social work practice, emphasizing the communication as possibility and source for professional action and experiential learning. On the basis of theoretical and empirical results of analysis there is discussed the helping process for the risk family and the possibility to develop the communication competence in the process of individual intervention or group intervention. At the first part of article the learning paradigm and social empowerment methodological guidelines, which emphasize the position of active and responsible character and the meaning of collaboration, which determine the success of professional activity. There is discussed the context of the social work, which impact interpersonal communication obstacles and arising problems, the necessity to develop communicative competence is emphasized. Analyzing theoretical assumptions for learning in practice construction with aim to develop empowering relationship with family, there is discussed experiential learning process, definition of its structure, reciprocal communication, construction of practice content, the creation of new knowledge. The results of qualitative research revealed the problems of communication between social worker and family as a client. Social worker with sufficient practical activity experience usually remains in the primary phase of help process – contact establishment. In one case family proactiveness is expected but it remains “invisible”. The research revealed the individual process of experiential process the necessity of practitioner-expert or supervisor coaching in the experiential learning process by self-assessing and combining practical knowledge which were gained by acting in practice placement, theoretical knowledge and created professional knowledge. Such coaching enables to systematize elements recurring in situations, develop their professionalism of social worker with the help of reflection.

The social dimension is gaining an increasing importance in the fields of shaping our environment, such as territorial planning and architectural design. In order to create the living environment, which would be not only comfortable, but also aesthetic and psychologically acceptable, it is important to analyze the experience and possibilities of application of sociological research methods to physical and social environment of urbanized areas. In order to reach this aim, the article presents the review of experience of application of the sociological research methods to urban environment distinguishing the characteristic cases in this field and their analogies in Lithuanian practice and the distinguishing and classification of the types and aims of sociological research of urban environment based on the analysis of literature.

This article analyses inter-regional colloboration between Latin America and European Union (EU) in order to find out the processes of regional integration to international extent. Basic reasons of inter-regional collaboration between EU and Latin America which are related with social inequality and destitution, shortfall of democracy and growth of Latin America’s economical potential as well as appearance of various new markets are excluded in this text. EU encourages economical, social and institutional integration which is associated with regionalization processes in the area of Latin America. Inter-regional collaboration happens through international organizations such as Rio group, MERCOSUR, UNASUR, CAN. This article deals with general aims of inter-regional collaboration, various branches of it and relations between EU and Latin America in regional, sub-regional and bilateral level which are intermingled among themselves.

A substantial number of young people in Western countries are facing severe difficulties due to wider social, political and economic change. Using a review of the literature and a descriptive approach, this paper explores issues of youth education, training, employment and social capital on the Swedish welfare landscape, as important factors in the education of the social professions, to understand and meet the needs of young vulnerable populations. The research found growing uncertain conditions in young populations, growing socio-economic vulnerability, mental ill-health and insufficient access to the labour market. Furthermore, the results of the paper suggest shortcomings in the social services for disadvantaged young people, and current socio-political programmes seem to reinforce the existing pattern of inequality. The insights generated by this study have the ability to inform international, national and local evidence bases in this area. It may contribute to the support of reflective future practitioners who use research as an integral element of improving their holistic client-centred interventions. The article has been prepared in the frame of the project „Social Professions for Youth Education in the Context of European Solidarity“* with participation of Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Swedish universities that deliver programmes of training social professionals.