Tiltai

The journal Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken is devoted to the social sciences, and is published by Klaipėda University (founded in 1991). It publishes articles on current issues in economics, management, demographics, social geography, geopolitics, politics, culture, education, religion, land management, and other social problems. In pursuing academic dialogue, the journal publishes articles in the humanities and biomedical sciences that explore social phenomena from an interdisciplinary point of view. Articles on Lithuania’s regional policy, and the economic and cultural development of border and cross-border regions, are particularly welcome. Since science does not recognise borders, scientific cooperation is a strategy that aims at the progress of the global community. For this reason, scientists from various countries are invited to participate in the work of the editorial board, and to publish articles as authors. Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken is a scientific journal that the Lithuanian Research Council recognises as a forum for defending doctoral dissertations and for obtaining pedagogical and research positions.

The social integration and reintegration of people with disabilities, especially war veterans and forced migrants, is important in the context of technological progress and social transformation. The study examines the role of instruments and technologies in facilitating these processes by improving access to rehabilitation, communication and professional engagement. Their influence and the role of institutions in promoting inclusion, providing medical, psychological and educational support, and in the formation of more social communities, are analysed. The study answers the questions:

Dr. Raimondo Kazlausko monografija „Politiškumo genealogija“ (recenzentai: prof. habil. dr. Tomas Sodeika, Vilniaus universitetas, Filosofijos institutas; prof. habil. dr. Vytautas Radžvilas, Vilniaus universitetas, Filosofijos institutas; prof. habil. dr. Zenonas Norkus, Vilniaus universitetas, Sociologijos ir socialinio darbo institutas; prof. dr. Arūnas Acus, Klaipėdos universitetas, Socialinių pokyčių studijų centras) Klaipėdos miesto bendruomenei pristatyta 2024 metų birželį Imanuel’io Kant’o viešojoje bibliotekoje. Monografijos autoriaus ir renginio moderatoriaus rašytojo ir filosofo dr. Arvydo Juozaičio dialogas atskleidė gilumines monografijos prasmes, tai ir padiktavo recenzijos pavadinimą „Tarp politikos ir politiškumo“.

With the popularisation of education in health care, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, thereby strengthening all-round health, with physical, mental and emotional well-being, becomes more relevant. The aim of the article is to reveal the possibilities of education in a healthy lifestyle based on the point of view and experience of health-care specialists. The questionnaire survey of health-care specialists showed that the respondents have a positive attitude towards the need for the education of individuals in a healthy lifestyle, but they lack knowledge about strengthening personal health and education in a healthy lifestyle. Although the respondents’ approach to education in a healthy lifestyle is complex, their health behaviour may not always be a suitable example to others. Not only the functions of information and education, but also guidance, consulting and assistance are important to the interviewees, but they lack the skills of educational competence to perform them. In addition, health-care professionals lack sufficient knowledge and ability to apply educational methods, prepare tools, and use resources, and integrate education in a healthy lifestyle into health care.

Because of uncertainties, which are influenced by major external events, such as pandemics, emergence of wars and other phenomena those keep testing organizational abilities to survive and thrive. This article aims to review the existing research on organizational resilience especially in the face of global COVID-19 pandemic – in particular, which factors constitute a successful resilience model. Three branches of organizational resilience were defined and analyzed as follows: knowledge base, resource availability, and social resources & power. Theoretical and empirical research results create a basis for further research in order to analyze the phenomenon of organizational resilience in a broader sense, by adapting a complex approach and covering different sectors.

This study examines the influence of historical imprints on attitudes towards volunteering among Lithuanians. Using imprinting theory, we explored how the historically evolved Soviet imprints have influenced modern attitudes toward formal volunteering. Quantitative data analysis (N=358) revealed that some Soviet imprints might have decayed, while some were strong enough to survive until modern times to affect attitudes towards formal volunteering. This study examined three Soviet attitudinal imprints: negative attitudes towards non-governmental organisations, external power primacy, and the authoritarian outlook. The results showed that while some imprints might have decayed, some have survived until today. Our findings underscore the enduring impact of Soviet imprints, and suggest that addressing these historical influences is crucial for enhancing volunteering among citizens of post-Soviet regions.

Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys is one of the most outstanding personalities of the 20th century. He was a professor, minister of foreign affairs, priest and martyr. Throughout his life, Reinys tried to spread the truths of the faith. The quest to protect both Lithuania and the whole of Western Europe from the collapse of civilisation after the loss of its Christian foundations led Reinys to the martyr’s crown. Although the articles published in the newspaper Naujoji Lietuva between 1940 and 1944 were rather conservative, they emphasise the tragedy of a society that has lost God as a landmark and a foundation. Reinys not only warned about the imminent catastrophe of Western Europe losing the basis of its civilisation, God and Christian values, but also called primarily for a cultural-ideological struggle using all possible weapons, because matter without spirit leads to destruction. It should be stated that Reinys’ written legacy is not collected and systematised today, and his articles published between 1940 and 1944 in the daily Naujoji Lietuva especially lack a detailed and critical scientific approach. In this article, I do not aim to critically assess Reinys’ statements, but look at them with an apologetic eye in order to analyse and actualise the main topic: the fight against godlessness. The first part of the article discusses the historical context that undoubtedly influenced the publication of these articles. The second part of the article examines the content of the articles published in the daily Naujoji Lietuva.

This article presents the results of a study on the levels of knowledge, skill, management and attitudes of physiotherapists working in Lithuania, regarding the application of electrical stimulation (ES) in clinical practice. The study was conducted as part of the Erasmus+ European Union-funded vocational training project ‘The Importance of Clinical Electrical Stimulation in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation’ (CK4Stim). A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with 31 physiotherapists, who completed a questionnaire developed by the project partners to assess their levels of knowledge, skill, management and attitude towards ES. The surveys were conducted using the Google Forms platform. Statistical data analysis of the study was performed using the SPSS 21.0 program. Although the results varied depending on the question, most participants indicated that their level of knowledge regarding the application of ES for various conditions was average. Less than 50% of the participants rated their skill and management level of ES as average. The types of current chosen by participants for the treatment of different conditions varied greatly, and in many cases, the selected sequences of ES currents were inappropriate. In conclusion: the participants generally considered their knowledge and attitude levels to be average, but their skill and management levels were below average. We found that the level of knowledge, skill, management and attitude of physiotherapists working in Lithuania is below average, so it is necessary to change these aspects in the clinical, evidence-based practice of physiotherapists.

A social worker’s individual work with the client, empowerment and leadership as the professionalisation of social work are analysed in the research article. This area of social work activity has become especially relevant in recent years, due to the new functions that have been taken over: the empowerment of clients who come out of prison. The article emphasises the change in the relationship between the social worker and the client, as well as the need for diverse methods of social work and the search for innovative solutions. The social worker’s activity in the community, and the change of attitudes while presenting a positive image of the client to achieve greater social participation, are reviewed in the article. The results of the qualitative study are presented with the content analysis method. The aim of the study was to bring to light the most essential competencies for social workers which allow them to achieve the greatest social participation results for people coming out of prison. In total, nine social workers who work directly with clients after prison took part in the qualitative study. The findings of the research revealed that social workers are in need of broadening their competencies. The most important qualities mentioned by social workers in competencies were: empathy, communication, and motivation. They tend to be the most essential factors determining social workers’ possibilities to construct the social support and better integration of clients into society. The study also revealed that social workers need continuous improvement, participation in training, and the use of various methods and programmes, in order to implement their new functions effectively.

The study aimed to better understand elementary students’ mental health and well-being before and after the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as whether there are differences in elementary students’ self-reported mental health between racial groups. Minnesota Student Survey results were analysed, and the results of Bonferroni post-hoc tests found significant differences in worrying a lot and feeling sad between racial groups. Hispanic or Latino/Latina students are significantly more likely to worry a lot than all other racial/ethnic groups. Black, African or African American students are significantly less likely to feel sad than all other racial/ethnic groups, except White students. Hispanic or Latino/Latina students reported the largest increases in worrying and feeling sad between 2019 and 2022. The study findings hold implications for practice, including building educators’ cultural responsiveness, increasing mental health support in the schools, and implementing social-emotional learning in elementary schools.