Jolanta Pivorienė

EXISTENTIALIST PERSPECTIVE ON CHANGES THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH CHRONICAL PSYCHICAL DISEASE

The goal of the article is to reveal experiences of changes the lives of people with chronical psychical disease from existentialism theory perspective. Qualitative research was done in order to answer to these research questions: how changes of lives after the diagnose are experienced by diagnosed people? How do they explain them? Collected data is analysed and interpreted based on analytical induction, by applying theoretical coding according to theoretical definitions of existential dimensions: physical Unwelt, social Mitwelt, personal Eigenwelt and spiritual Uberwelt (Emmy va Deurzen,2007; Ernest Spinelli, 2005; Rimas Kociūnas, 1996). Research data shows that research participants their existential being and changes related to disease are expressing via various dimensions: they construct their personal identity in Eigenwelt dimension which includes personal and intimate relations with themselves and significant others; relations with others and social reality in Mitwelt dimension; relations with physical environment in Umwelt dimension which reveals material and economic well-being contexts; however, spiritual issues stay hidden in the stories of the participants. Research data reveals existential loneliness defined by Jalom (2000), in the participants’ stories when they oppose themselves to others thus increasing isolation between “me” and others. It is important for a person to be listened to, accepted, appreciated. According to May (2001) this strengthens understanding that s/he is meaningful, is a part of humanity, gives pillar for finding meaning in meaningless world. Participants’ stories show alterations in relations with themselves in Eigenwelt dimension when people accept themselves as cureless, dependent, incompatible,“broken”. This could be explained by Jalom (2001) theory which analyse how restricted freedom and responsibility prevent from autonomous existence and self-realization. Participants’ experience in relation with outside world – Umwelt dimension – shows their vulnerability. Loss of working capacity affects person’s dignity and value in a society in which employment is one of the most valuable aspirations. Unsatisfied material, belonging and safety needs in Umwelt dimension affects persons’ with psychical disease relations with themselves (Eigenwelt) and others (Mitwelt). Existential theory describes psychical disease not as a set of symptoms but as the life experience which could be revealed and understood. In analysing person’s relation with various existential categories like freedom, loneliness, finality, meaningless and others, this theory accepts that a person with a disease could life responsible, authentic, valuable and meaningful life.

ALL DAY SCHOOL IMPLEMENTATION IN THE FOREIGN COUNTRIES

All day school concept has been actively promoted and realized during past decade in several EU countries. This concept is related with attempts to guarantee child ‘s welfare and equal possibilities for academic success, to decrees social inequalities as such. All day school model is implemented in West, South and East Europe, but its implementation differs by school types, forms, etc. Even definitions, titles, descriptions of all day school vary from country to country in all Europe. Such variety is determined by different in-countries needs and contexts, different ways of school’s life organization and implementation. Differences exist not only in separate countries, but also in separate schools of a same country. The authors of this article aim to present positive, challenging and to be improved aspects of all day schools’ in five EU countries. Those aspects were analysed on student’s, teacher’s, family’s and community’s levels. The scientific work was carried on by meta -analysis of secondary sources. The first step was search for countries to be analysed and decision to choose concrete ones. The second one - identification and selection of reliable sources. At general level all day school is understood as regular school with prolonged in time curriculum and additional (non-formal) activities, that last till certain afternoon hours. The authors of this article reviewed and analysed experience of 5 EU countries - England, Greece, Germany, Finland and Portugal. The analysis revealed that all day school concept depends on in-country culture, educational tradition, and general socio-economic and political context. Positive aspects of all day schools are related to: possibility of individual choice; variety of educational forms; participation of parents and wider community in a school life; promotion of equal learning opportunities; growing motivation to learn and general satisfaction with school. Support for families is considered to be one of essential positive aspects in all day schools in all researched countries. Parents may combine their work with family duties and get social-pedagogical supervision. Usefulness of such school type for poor learners, especially immigrants, and others, coming from socio-economical background, is evident in all five countries. Challenging issues are related to: free choice possibilities; variety of activities at school; students’ tiredness because of work overload and time spent in one place; applicability of physical environment; involvement of social partners; work overload of school teachers. Additional funding of all day schools is considered to be great challenge in all researched countries. Funding is necessary for implement of all days’ school goals in full scope and comprehensive way.

POLITICIANS‘ ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN

Violence is one of the most complex psychosocial problems, especially if it is experienced from close person like spouse. This problem is not related to social status or other sociodemographic characteristics like ethnicity, religion, etc., it could occur in any place and under any circumstances. Domestic violence becomes one of the most relevant problems in a society, however, scientific research more often focuses on women who suffer from spouses violence and there is a lack of research about men who suffer from women violence. This article aims to fill this gap and to analyse some aspects of women violence against men. The goal of the article is to find out what are attitudes of Parliament members toward women violence against men. The quantitative research was conducted in order to answer three research questions: what actions of women can be understood as violence, what support men search after the violence, what is attitude to men who suffered women violence. Literature review revealed that violence against women and children are analysed more often, usually men are described as aggressive, dominant offenders. However, researchers in masculinity field state that men also could experience violence but they tend to hide the fact because they are ashamed, afraid of disapprobation of society, they don’t know where to apply for support. Research data showed that respondents count violence such actions of women as offensive remarks and jokes, shouting and scolding, pushing, damaging things, forcing for sexual intercourse, threatening to refuse to see their children, threatening to divorce. These are forms of psychological, physical and sexual violence. However, respondents don’t recognize such economic and psychological violence as prohibition to work or study, constantly expressed unfounded jealousy, ignorance and not speaking, obstruction to communicate with friends and reproaches. Most respondents stated that they would not apply for a support after experiencing violence from women, because they don’t see violent action of women as serious problem, they don’t think that it is violence. Respondents’ attitude toward men who suffered violence from women is controversial. On the one hand, they said that violence experienced men should search for a support, but they personally in case of womens violence, are not going to ask for a help. Respondents are not minded to feel sorry for men who suffered violence from women, but they are not prone to stigmatize or blame such men as well. Research participants think that any men, not only weak ones, can suffer violence from women. Very small proportion of respondents said that their attitude toward mistreated men is negative.

CONCEPTUALIZATION OF EPILEPSY AS CHRONIC DISEASE IN THE SOCIOLOGICAL perspective

Health was an interest of studies from the first sociological classics. Health sociology analysis such concepts as health, disease, illness, disability or more operationalized terms like chronical disease, physical or psychical disability. Health is defined as balance and illness as its destruction. Functionalism and symbolic interaction theories laid background for the sociology of health. Modern sociologist also analyse health in modernity terms. More and more people experience stress, depression, burn out, chronical pain, etc., traditional medicine hardly can solve these challenges and people suffer changing identities, roles and interactions in their social life. The aim of the article is to conceptualise epilepsy in the context of classical sociological theories. Scientific literature analysis method is used in the article. Classical sociological theories analyse changing social roles of persons with illness, interactions between society and person with new roles, stigmatization processes, acceptance or rejections. In the general context of health and illness, chronical illness is investigated as specific research object. Epilepsy is one of the chronical illness which is in field of sociological interest. Epilepsy in the light of classical sociological theories is analysed by describing changes of social roles, role of the society and in forming social identity of person with epilepsy, labelling and stigmatization. Big emphasis is put on how symbolic meanings are attached to epilepsy and what are social consequences of the illness. A person and a society attach such meanings to the epilepsy which enforces labelling and stigmatisation leading to stronger negative social consequences of the illness. Present and future social interactions are weakened and inclusion of persons with epilepsy to the society is diminished. Epilepsy affects all aspects of person’s social life. During process not only person with epilepsy but his or her family as well isolates themselves or are isolated by society. Family trajectory could be interrupted by epilepsy in any stage starting from its beginning, birth of a child, any other distribution of roles and responsibilities. Education and employability history also are affected by epilepsy.

Socialinių darbuotojų požiūris į socialinį darbą su socialinės rizikos šeima lyčių lygybės aspektu

Straipsnyje pristatomo tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti socialinių darbuotojų požiūrį į lycių lygybe socialinės rizikos seimose. Pusiau struktūruoto interviu metu apklausti kriterinės atrankos būdu atrinkti astuoni socialiniai darbuotojai, dirbantys su socialinės rizikos seimomis. Teorinė ir empirinė duomenų analizė atskleidė, kad lycių lygybė yra suprantama kaip pareigų ir atsakomybės pasidalijimas, atsižvelgiant į asmens gebėjimus ar pomėgius, nesukeliant nė vienai pusei diskomforto jausmo. Socialinio darbo praktikoje yra svarbu integruoti lycių aspektą profesinėje veikloje, nes lycių lygybė seimoje yra vienas is seimos gerovės rodiklių. Socialinis darbuotojas turi galimybes skatinti pozityvias permainas seimoje ir visuomenėje. Lycių aspekto integravimas vyksta derinant prevencijos ir intervencijos veiklos kryptis. Tyrimo duomenys atskleidė, kad socialiniai darbuotojai tik is dalies sieja socialinio darbo praktiką su lycių lygybės aspektu. Lycių lygybė yra sudėtingas klausimas daugumoje seimų ir praktiskai neissprendžiamas socialinės rizikos seimose. Tyrimo duomenų analizė atskleidė, kad informantai nesieja saves kaip socialinio darbuotojo nei su lycių lygybės ideologijos skleidėjo visuomenėje, nei su lycių lygybės pagalbininko seimoje vaidmeniu. Svarstomos lycių lygybės įgyvendinimo galimybės yra pateikiamos daugiau teoriniu lygmeniu, nei isplaukiancios is profesionalios socialinio darbo praktikos patirties.

Socialinio darbo studentų požiūris į tarptautinį socialinį darbą

Since 1943, when the definition of international social work was mentioned, its meaning and content have developed, and at the beginning of the 21st century it became a popular analysis object of social work researches and practitioners. However, in Lithuania, international social work has not been studied and there are no sound researches about this issue. The goal of the article is to investigate the opinion of social work students about their understanding of international social work and students’ involvement in different international social work activities. The article is based on survey data. All final year social work students at one university were investigated using a questionnaire. Research data shows that students define international social work very closely to scientifically accepted definitions. They agreed with most of the statements describing international social work, however, the impact of globalization to social work clients was assessed neutrally. Respondents think that international social work is very important to service users and social work development and it is less important for social workers. More than one half of the participating students did not communicate with foreign students during their studies, but almost one half of the respondents met foreign clients during field placement. It seems that social reality is more favourable for international social work than university environment. On the other hand, data shows that universities put a big emphasis on internationalization. The students defined that they often participated in international conferences, lectures, projects, seminars. Teachers were defined as the main factor, which encouraged students to get involved into international social work activities at home or abroad. Students’ opinion reflects public (and professional) opinion, which is more favourable to local than international understanding of social work. International social work in Lithuania is understood in its narrow definition (as the first form defined by Seden et al.). The situation reminds the discussions at the end of the 20th century in Lithuania about what social work is, why it is needed, etc. Similarly now, the notion of international social work has to prove its necessity to Lithuanian researchers and practitioners.

Mental Health Services at Tertiary Level for Children from Residential Child Care: Professionals’ Point of View

The goal of the article is to discuss mental health services at tertiary level for children from residential care in Lithuania from professionals’ point of view. Content analysis revealed several topics, three of which are discussed in the article: professional responsibilities and relations with other professionals, inter-professional collaboration inside and outside organizations, main obstacles for mental health services provision. Research data showed that responsibilities of different professionals (doctors (psychiatrists), psychologist and social workers) are clearly understood and separated. Also, interconnections are found, however, these interconnections reflect not only different professional identities, but hierarchical relations, as well. There is inter-professional cooperation inside and outside mental health and child care organizations. Lack of communication, organizational restrictions, imperfection of health care system and personal factors were identified as the main obstacles for a good practice. The key challenge is the collaboration at tertiary level when a child is hospitalized. Both sides, mental health and child care services providers, see the problems concerning communication, interconnection and continuation of services. The data reflected not only problems of inter-professional cooperation between mental health and child care organizations, but also not good regulations of information flow between professionals, as information could be provided only from the same professional to the same professional. It is not clear how other professionals, such as social workers, group teachers–supervisors, could receive this information in child care system. Usually, it varies from case to case and depends on regulations of a specific child care organization or personal interest of a professional.