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Religious conversion equally preoccupied theologians, sociologists, psychologists, and anthropologists, but conversion in the context on new religious phenomenon represented a controversial subject which concerned not only the scientists, but also the public who required an explanation for the relatively high number of youths who converted to controversial new religious movements. In this context Sociology tried to explain religious conversion as a process basically influenced by the social/group forces and individual expectances and searches, developing a theory of active and processual conversion. Sociologists as John Lofland, Rodney Stark, Arthur Greil, Max Heirich, David Balch, David Taylor, Roger Straus, Norman Skonovd, David Snow, Richard Machalek, Theodore Long, Jeffrey Hadden, Stephen Wilson, David Gartrell, and Zane Shanon, to mention only the ones who’s theories we analysed in this article, substantially contributed at developing a new paradigm of understanding religious conversion, useful for all the fields of religious research.
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Abstract. Romania has experienced significant migration since 1990, and this migration has had diversified effects on Romanian society. This article analyzes Romanian migration in the period after 1990, highlighting some of the most noticeable effects produced by international migration during this time. Romanian migration is characterized by a high degree of selforganization. It has had changing causes and patterns of organization in each of the distinct periods after 1990. The first period, from 1990 to 1993, was characterized by migration to Germany with additional migration of Romanians to a host of other European countries. This first period was followed by a relatively stable period. After 1997, however, we argue that massive restructuring of the Romanian economy forced unemployed Romanians to migrate irregularly. After 2002, the pattern of Romanian migration altered yet again, because citizens of Romania were allowed to travel to EU countries without restrictions. Consequently, migration levels increased massively. After 2007, Romanians benefited from EU accession. There were diverse consequences of this movement of migrants. These included a significant in-flow of remittances and measurable effects on the labor market that caused the reorganization of households and gender relations.
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Abstract. The combination of emigration and internal migration from peripheral areas to larger cities has crucially changed and shaped societal and spatial structures in Albania during the post-communist era. Some peripheral regions within the country itself suffer from extreme depopulation, resulting in partial abandonment of settlements. At the same time, the country’s central region experiences an unregulated, hardly controllable influx of migrants, who frequently foster close connections with their regions of origin. Even in the case of emigration, connections and relations with one’s home country are rarely completely cut off. Manifold backlashes of migration on regional and local development can thus be observed in Albania itself. This includes, for example, remittances of respectable amounts, which help families to secure their livelihood and often serve as seed capital for entrepreneurial independence as returnee’s business. There is even evidence of effects on the country’s cultural landscape through a kind of rent seeking mentality; for in those regions where the amount of private remittances from abroad received by households is high, the areas of fallow agricultural land are particularly large.
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Abstract. Migrant diasporas accumulate human, financial, and social capital that can spur development back in their homeland. Serbian policies could better promote the associated forms of capital accumulation that the current migrant diasporas offer through partnerships covering many types of joint actions. These include, in particular, supporting existing initiatives, developing collaboration between Serbia and host countries, offering contract alliances at the local level with regions and municipalities, as well as collaborating with private actors such as banks, public enterprises, chambers of commerce and business services. This paper discusses the Serbian migrant population and its current socio-economic characteristics, as well as how this segment of the population on the move could better foster Serbian economic development. The paper also considers four main channels through which migration generates effects on the home country. Considered are: domestic capacity, remittance flows, social networks, and return migration. This essay suggests an important area for future research that would examine how to transition from brain drain to brain gain and to find answers regarding how to mobilize Serbia’s skilled diaspora.
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Abstract. This paper studies the migration movements from and to Bulgaria since 1989 and examines their most important impacts. The first section assembles the available statistics concerning in- and out-migration flows in Bulgaria during the last two decades. Furthermore, the main reasons for emigration, the types of outgoing migration, and the target countries are also provided. Similar classification of immigration into the country is also presented. In the second section, the study draws attention to a number of direct and indirect impacts caused by the massive emigration flows. In this regard, emphasis is placed on the demographic effects, the consequences for the country’s economy as a whole, and the labor market in particular. Moreover, it examines the implications of migration on labor market shortages, labor productivity, wage levels and inflation rates, as well as the effects of remittances and the brain drain phenomenon. Finally, the paper investigates the potential of the Bulgarian diaspora and governmental measures designed to attract Bulgarian emigrants and nationals living abroad.
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Abstract. International migration has not played as important a role in Hungary’s economic development as have international trade and foreign investments. Nevertheless, immigration has affected considerably the demographic processes of the country in the last 15-20 years. Comparing the 1990s with the recent years, the main objective of this study is to highlight the new trends, driving forces and (potential) consequences of migration in the case of Hungary. The analysis points out the traditionally important (but slightly decreasing) role of ethnic Hungarians living in the neighbouring countries in immigration. It also describes the main factors explaining the relatively low level of emigration, and shows the growing importance of some special patterns of migration. It is concluded that migration has not had significant economic impacts on the macro-level, but that it has affected considerably the development of some industries and regions. It is also suggested that the new challenges and opportunities that have been emerged since EU accession require Hungary to map out a long-term migration strategy.
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The modern system of child and family help has to focus its attention on supporting troubled families before the circumstances force children to foster or residential care. Unfortunately sometimes such a solution is necessary. In such a situation child interest requires organizing adequate cooperation with his/her family and taking efforts leading to the reconstruction of natural ties and family life normalization. In some cases this enables a child to return to the family. Effective cooperation requires the engagement of all subjects, according to specified rules using different forms.
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This paper concentrates on the problem of marginalisation of the role of sanatorium and health resort treatment of children in the health care system. In the face of children’s health problems such as: diabetes, obesity, allergies, orthopaedic and injury diseases, the respiratory system diseases, the nervous system diseases and cardiovascular diseases, resources spent on the health resort treatment of children are being increasingly reduced. While the number of health services within the scope of health resort treatment in Poland contracted out by the National Health Fund is decreasing, at the same time a certain number of service providers which have so far specialized in this kind of services are resigning from their activity. This article, describing the extent of the undergoing changes, also points out their most important causes as well as possible consequences.
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The aim of the article is to present three models of social services’ users. A user as a client is first of all passive. A user as a consumer is given a choice what enables him to make important decisions regarding the shape of services. A user as a citizen has the right to participate in political process and influence the shape of services in more indirect way. The classification presented may be used to indicate important tendency in contemporary social policy: from users as citizens-clients to users as consumers. As a result, social policy must face some new challenges including the potential increase in social inequalities.
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The services of the labour market constitute a fundamental element of the social policy effectively operating within the area of the labour market – and especially of active policy. Their provision ensures the existence of the social model in Europe. The services can be provided by the institutions of the government or public sector, but also by private job centres or non-profit organisations. The article presents the situation on the labour market in the EU countries. This is a starting point for outlining an analysis from the perspective of institutional structures and types of the services on the Polish labour market in comparison with the EU policy.
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In the paper, the possibilities of implementation of social services are presented in the perspective of welfare administration on the district level. The main thesis is the conviction that on-going changes in priorities of social politics must take into account questions related to the manner of organization of welfare centers work in the field. The increase of social services role as a form of in-field social work, in connection with effectiveness control, necessarily leads to the emphasis on the development of social work standards, but at the same time creates new quality and challenges for the welfare system. The final part of the article is devoted to the discussion of few of those problems.
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Pupils with special educational needs constitute a special group of people to whom educational activities are addressed. Education is particularly important for this group of pupils. It could provide a chance to live a normal life, to improve the living conditions, or to change their social environment. First of all, however, education contributes to the disclosure and development of intellectual potential of pupils with special educational needs. Polish legislation favours these pupils by giving them special opportunities, such as increasing learning time and creating favourable conditions during examinations. However, it is of special concern, that the increasing number of pupils at school has an certificate of special educational needs, or is considered by teachers and educators as pupils with special educational needs.
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Learning and improving incentives have been and will be determining the equality of opportunities. In Poland, actions have been taken, which, according to the originators, are aimed at the creation of conditions for children and young people with disabilities to foster their own development and change negative ratings, opinions and attitudes towards people with disabilities. This article examines the current legal status of the education of children with disabilities and assesses the results of practical application of these solutions. The purpose of this paper is to verify the Polish educational system solutions focused on eliminating impairments of disabled people in access to education and to demonstrate whether most socially desirable integration process actually takes place.
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Personal assistance services have been developing in a lot of European countries and the United States for decades. In Poland, the concept of these services, fundamentally different from traditional care services provided in the social assistance, is still not fully understood. There are existing large gaps in family support in the implementation of protective function for the dependent family members which must be made up as soon as possible. It has been required by the membership of our country in the EU structures, the consequences of the demographic crisis as well as the changing awareness of disabled people for exercising their social rights, which implementation without the development of these services is not possible.
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The reform of the public assistance system as conducted at the beginning of the nineties was to alleviate social consequences of economic reforms. After twenty years of functioning of the system, a question can be posed about the extent to which social, economic and demographic transformations are reflected in the scope of services provided by public assistance institutions in favour of families. This study is aimed at making an attempt to determine the scale of the assistance provided by the said institutions in the years 2001-2010, the types of families included in the system as well as the types of the reasons bringing about the use of the public assistance. A particular attention is paid to the services provided by public assistance centres.
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Synthetic studies from the field of the social politics underline the growing pace of homelessness. The professional and social section of population of homeless persons clearly changed in the last several years. Homelessness among women is the new area of interest. Women in the population of homeless persons are still the rarity, but the data accumulated by non-governmental organizations offering help to homeless persons show that their number grows. This problem also relates to children looked after by homeless mothers.
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Every year, an increasing number of divorces can be noticed in our country. According to the CSO in 2009 Poland recorded the highest number of divorces so far − 72000. There are also predictions that in the coming years one should expect a more increasing than decreasing trend in terms of the number of divorces in our country. Thus, there will be an increasing number of children, who will grow up in divorced families. A divorce of parents is a critical event for the entire family system. Minors and already grown up children are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of parents divorce. The article addresses issues concerning the divorce in the family and provides practical hints for professionals working with families, as well as for parents facing a decision of divorce. The presented text particularly emphasizes the different ways of help and support for a child of divorcing parents.
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One of the most important social problems that families face is the phenomenon of alcoholism. On one hand, alcoholism is a disease and requires treatment, and its victims require support and care from the society. It evokes an urgent need not only to treat the addicted people but also to prevent the causes of alcohol addiction in the individual and social dimension. They require specialist care of therapists and also financial support from social services. The subject of the following material is an attempt to show the functioning of system of local support for families with the alcoholic problem in the area of Radom.
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In Polish families mainly women organize help in condition of poverty and contact with aid organizations. Therefore diagnosing the support for poor women we get the information about the support used by their whole families. This article aims at assessing the social support to poor women in Poland. The authoress analyses the scope and the forms of assistance given to the poor women by formal sector (bases on the results of her own research conducted among 109 poor Poles with in-depth interview techniques). This article in particular assesses public social assistance as one of the most important social services in the sphere of poverty.
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