Tiltai

The article examines sociocultural contexts of the genesis of the processes of the professionalization of performance within the paradigm of specificity vs generality. It emphasizes the increasing specialization in the area of human-human interactions inherent in the medical profession that are pertinent to the conditions of modern consumer society. The authors analyze the consequences of professional specialization in relation to the shifting physicians’ worldview and through individual self-expression explore professional deformations associated with moral and spiritual phenomena within the context of doctor-patient interactions that, on the one hand, are oriented towards missionary nature of the medical profession and, on the other, towards the opportunities of individual professional development. In the examination of occupational continuum, the authors utilize a phenomenological approach that enables to characterize different aspects of professional and personal deformations, as well as to analyze the meaning of professional opportunities through recognition and comprehension of their essence.

This paper focuses on paid leave policies and parents parental leave choices in Lithuania. Lithuanian paid parental leave system provides one of the longest leaves in Europe, with high replacement rates, but there is a lack of more flexible working arrangements for working parents. For an empirical analysis an administrative data of SODRA (State Social Insurance Fund Board), which includes information of all benefits recipients was used. SODRA data allowed to disclose the gender differences in the parent’s parental leave choices by gender (2011–2018). This period has been chosen because Lithuania in 2011 introduced new paid leave policy regulation, when two parental leave options were offered for parents: 100% of net earnings until the child is 12 months or 70% of net earnings until the child is 12 months, and 40% net earnings until the child is 24 months. The SODRA data had shown that although the share of fathers who take paid parental leave had increased since 2011 but in comparison to women it constituted only about 24% of all f paid parental benefits recipients. Considerably larger part of the fathers is choosing to receive the parental leave benefits the second year while they are eligible to work and benefit is not reduced.

The article presents the concept of the cross-border method that was developed in the framework of the Erasmus+ programme project. The aim of this method is to provide students on PhD/Mg programmes with theoretical knowledge and practical competencies on how to properly develop and conduct research on social and health issues of the elderly in care institutions and in the family environment by using the cross-border method through collaboration and the transfer of innovation. This method was constructed as an attempt to understand the challenges of an ageing society in the modern world, and to be able to assess them in research thereof from both intercultural and comparative perspectives. In order to adopt innovations and to transfer experience in the context of addressing the problems of an ageing society, there is a potential to contribute to the stability of social protection and the accessibility of social services for the elderly. The article presents the concept of the method as one of the results of the project, and as a part of the long-term scientific contributions to revealing the importance of international cooperation and innovation in meeting the challenges of an ageing society. A properly chosen method and well-conducted studies show the essence of the phenomenon of an ageing society and its patterns. The methods determine the quality and reliability of the knowledge of the research subject, and open up opportunities for developing political, learning and care strategies for the social protection of an ageing society in the context of demographic change.

The goal of the article is to describe the contribution of ecclesial or Church communities to the development of community work and the ways people get involved in community activities, seeing ecclesial communities as form of religious capital in society for regenerating the society and individuals. In the richness of community activities of Christian Church that are socially or caritatively-oriented, it is possible to find resources, with which the Christian Church can reach the people in need and fulfil its mission. Thus, the context of the article is the practical concept of Caritative Social Work being practiced in practical domains of modern social protection system. One of the factors, chosen for studying in this article, will be religious capital with its inner constituting conditions in order there could take place their activation in community environment. The task here is to explore specific social and religious factors and principles of action that would provide more full understanding about the effectiveness of functioning of local religious communities and their influence on community development. The article will end by case study analysis of two Christian ecclesial communities and deriving working principles, finding out which elements and principles of ecclesial community can constitute the effective community of social rehabilitation.

The article discusses XXI c. trends of tourism development in the Kaliningrad Region, Russian Federation. The main focus is on the analysis of regional tourism development program documents and basic projects of tourism sector. Based on statistical data, parameters of tourism development in the Kaliningrad Region are assessed, and factors and problems slowing down the process are identified.

The researches justify the importance of using IT in the process. However, the use of IT in the teaching environment is a new challenge in protecting and enhancing the health of primary students. The natural tendency of children, the need of the use of IT in the process of teaching (learning) necessitates the management of this process. Research aim – to examine expanse’s tendencies of IT in primary education and to reveal the features of creating a healthy teaching (learning) environment for pupils. 237 teachers of primary school from the west of Lithuania have been surveyed. The study showed that primary school teachers and students are not yet appointed with a variety of IT tools. Although almost all of the teachers had computers in their classrooms and almost half of the respondents had a digital projector, only a very small part of the teachers had interactive whiteboards and tablets in their classrooms. Primary schools have purchased different IT tools for co-use, but only few of the teachers have those tools in their classrooms. The lack of IT tools in the classroom limits the possibilities of their use in the education process. The study revealed that the knowledge of the primary students about the safe use of IT tools, healthcare while working with IT is not related to their skills. Children lack the ability to learn practical activities, their application in life situations and healthy behaviours. Although a lot of teachers think that primary students are aware of the safe use of IT and the effect of misuse of IT, only one third or less of primary school teachers agreed that primary students are able to properly sit at the desk using IT, to do eye exercises, to protect their eyesight, to adjust eye and hand movements, etc.

The article aims to reveal the medics’ approach to night shift work in multiprofile hospitals of Lithuania. The night shift medics’ work and it singularity was analysed in several related and summarized aspects: approach to night shift work as a phenomenon (1), the impact of night shift on the physiological needs, health and family (2), the interface of night shift work with the environment and work organization (3). The differences of approaches of doctors and nurses to night shift work were disclosed in the article.

The current study (N = 514) explores the relationship between humanistic spirituality as it is conceptualised in the proposed Humanistic Spirituality Model and parenting experiences defined herein as authoritative, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles, parental behavioural and psychological control as well as secure and insecure parental and adult attachment styles. The study has found that of the three parenting styles, only the authoritative style is a significant positive predictor of spirituality, though secure attachment in adulthood and the two demographic variables, age and female gender, serve as even more salient predictors. Both parents’ behavioural and psychological control forms do not predict humanistic spirituality, whereas secure attachment to the mother furthers spirituality indirectly as it is a significant predictor of one of the most important determinants of spirituality, secure attachment in adulthood.

Government organization and activities in a democratic state must be based on the principle of separation of powers. The essence of this principle is to ensure individual rights and freedoms and to help the society prevent government arbitrariness. Each power is implemented through its institutions: Parliament, representing the Nation, legislate the laws and perform other functions provided in the Constitution, the Government implement the laws legislated by Parliament and courts execute justice. If the state does not ensure the implementation of justice, all the talk of democracy, the rule of law, civil society, human rights and freedoms are declarative. Only being independent and autonomous judicial authorities can properly fulfill their function – to execute justice, to ensure implementation of law, expressed in the Constitution, laws and other legal norms, to guarantee the rule of law, to protect human rights and freedoms. Inevitably, the question must be raised whether the courts executing justice ensure these constitutional principles good enough and whether the citizen applying to the court to protect his violated rights can be sure that the court will resolve the dispute impartially and restore his violated rights. Authors of the article examine such an important topic as confidence in the courts, discuss the possible ways and means to achieve that the state government would be more trusted. In the article authors raise a question whether it would be effective to establish associate judges’ institute in Lithuania. The authors conclude that Lithuania is one of the few democratic countries having no jury or associate judges institution and that its establishment would help reduce corruption in the legal system. Also it would be a step to increase public confidence in the judiciary. The main conclusion is that discussions about moderate model of associate judges’ institution shall be encouraged. The authors believe that such a concept model would not form intervention in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania of 1992 and legal framework, but would complement the practice and the commitment to strengthen the relation between the public authorities and society, which is expressed in the Constitution. The model of such aspiration development really makes sense and would be very necessary.

In increasingly globalised societies higher education meet challenge to integrate the international and intercultural dimensions into their services, strategic plans, education programmes and research. There were few discussions around the concept of “Internationalization at home” (IaH) during the last years in the academic community. This article generally outlines a process of IaH in higher education, by giving examples from the bachelor programmes of Social Work and Nursing Education at Malmö University, Sweden. The internationalisation of the curriculum at home was shown to have a much greater impact than individual mobility alone. The authors of the article present their own analysis about possibilities to understand the culture, profession in the process of IaH improving professional and intercultural competences. Modern society poses a challenge for professionals – to think globally and to act locally.