Klaipėdos universitetas

The issue of active citizenship is very topical in modern society. Particular attention is paid to the promotion of civic activity by youth and the creation of positive experience. National surveys show increasing engagement among young people in various activities, but they also show that young people are more likely to notice and see the threats posed by active citizenship. Therefore, the article aims to research the attitude of young people towards an assessment of active citizenship in society, the threats and benefits it brings. Qualitative research methods were used to gain a detailed and comprehensive understanding of attitudes: analysis of literature, focus group discussion, and content analysis. In the discussions, informants mentioned most often that citizenship is viewed both positively and negatively (especially in relation to political activity). The study revealed that when discussing the risks of active citizenship, young people mentioned most often the physical threats to the health and life of an active citizen when performing compulsory or voluntary military service. Other possible active citizenship threats indicated were: provoking intolerance and encouraging confrontation between different groups. The discussion also identified the perceived and noticed benefits of active citizenship to young people. Those most frequently mentioned by the informants were: helping groups or professions in difficulty; creating a better environment through basic putting in order and doing one’s duty. Some of the statements by the informants show that examples of active citizenship create a sense of community and tolerance, as well as being ‘contagious’ (setting an example) and encouraging young people to join various organisations.

The subject of the research is the entrepreneurial potential of young people in the development of rural green tourism in Ukraine. Studies of trends in the rural labour market in terms of modernisation of the agrarian sector and the impact of world trends in transforming the role of rural territories have been taken into account. The development of entrepreneurship in the agricultural and industrial complex, including rural tourism, is one way of solving the youth employment problem. In the study, the authors rely on an assessment of the potential of rural green tourism in Ukraine, which is significant. The main directions of youth entrepreneurship in rural green tourism are identified. The article focuses on promoting the realisation of the potential of youth in rural green tourism businesses. Specific examples show features of labour motivation and highlight opportunities for its increase in entrepreneurship in rural green tourism. It is proposed to create conditions for the activation of youth entrepreneurship in rural green tourism. The authors come to the conclusion that modern youth, as a specific socio-demographic group, are a reserve for the multiplication of the labour force in the agricultural sector, and are a strategic resource for the development of rural areas through entrepreneurship in various fields, including rural green tourism.

Bibliotherapy is used in children’s day centers in order to provide assistance to children and adolescents from social risk families. There is evidence found in scientific literature that the application of bibliotherapy at day centers is useful for strengthening self-sufficiency, and if applied purposefully, it enables to cope with psychological problems, promotes spiritual growth and qualitative development, raises self-esteem, self-knowledge, understanding, and frees from perceptions that prevents from recognizing personal unpleasant feelings. The professional application of bibliotherapy at day centers, by working with children and adolescents, creates assumptions to strengthen the motivation regarding self-cognition, self-development and learning. The aim of this research is to answer to the question of how bibliotherapy can be applied in social pedagogical activities at children’s day centers (CDC). After a qualitative research had been accomplished (of social educators, parents whose children attend CDC), it was found that the application of bibliotherapy is justified in solving various social-pedagogical problems of children and youth (especially those associated with dealing with motivation problems of adolescent learning).

Visuomenė nuolat sprendžia ekologines ir socialines problemas, nulemtas perteklinio vartojimo. Atsakingo vartojimo ir gamybos įgyvendinimas leidžia užtikrinti plėtrą, sumažinti būsimas ekonomines, aplinkos ir socialines išlaidas, didinti ekonominį konkurencingumą ir mažinti skurdą. Atsakingi vartotojai sprendimus priima vadovaudamiesi ne tik noru patenkinti asmeninius poreikius, bet ir atsižvelgdami į galimas priimamų sprendimų pasekmes aplinkai bei visuomenei. Straipsnyje pristatomi tyrimo, kuriuo siekta ištirti akademinio jaunimo atsakingo vartojimo raišką ir galimybes skatinant jų atsakingą vartojimą, rezultatai. Empirinis tyrimas atliktas taikant kiekybinį metodą (apklausoje dalyvavo 264 dviejų Vakarų Lietuvos aukštųjų mokyklų studentai), duomenys apdoroti SPSS programiniu paketu. Akademinio jaunimo atsakingo vartojimo raiškos tyrimas atskleidė, kad dauguma apklausoje dalyvavusio jaunimo mano esantys socialiai atsakingi, nors atsakingo vartojimo raiška jų kasdienio gyvenimo praktikoje neįsitvirtinusi. Galima teigti, kad apskritai atsakingas jaunimo vartojimas labiau orientuotas į jų pačių naudą, o ne į aplinkos puoselėjimą ar visuomenės interesus. Ištirta, kad jaunuoliai, studijų procese išklausę socialinės atsakomybės dalyką, geriau suvokia atsakingo vartojimo naudą yra labiau įsitraukę į aplinkai bei visuomenei aktualias veiklas. Vartoti atsakingai jaunimą labiausiai paskatintų rūpinimasis savimi ir kitų žmonių gerove, atsakomybės jausmas bei kaltės jausmas dėl aplinkai daromos žalos. Atsakingą akademinio jaunimo vartojimą skatina aktyvi reklama, lengvai pasiekianti vartotojus.