Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika
type: channel
description: Founded in 2001 and dedicated to publishing articles on the issues of social work and social policy. Indexed in the Web of Science since 2021.
publisher: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla / Vilnius University Press
language: en
publication name: Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika
issn: 1648-2425
copyright: Please read the Copyright Notice in Journal Policy.
items: Non-Transferable Months of Parental Leave: Trends in Fathers’ Behavior
items: Childbirth Experiences of Socially Vulnerable Women and Their Associations with the Risk of Postpartum Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
items: Lithuanian Population’s Attitude Towards Vaccines
items: Patterns and Challenges of Family Life Course Sequences in Lithuania and Europe
items: The Political Implications of Generational Demographic Change
items: Quality of Long-Term Care in an LTC Outlier: Insights from the Greek Case
items: The Impact of the ‘Preparing for the Labour Market’ Status on the Employment Prospects of Older Jobseekers of the Lithuanian Employment Service
items: The Power of a Social Worker in Healthcare Institutions: “Splendors and Miseries”
items: The Transformative Potential of Social Theatre Experience: “Taksai. Direction – Kaunas” Audience Reflections
items: Social Arts Practices: Knowledge within the Field of Social Work and In-Between Fields

Non-Transferable Months of Parental Leave: Trends in Fathers’ Behavior
type: item
description: <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">An equal sharing of childcare responsibilities between men and women is a family policy priority in the European Union (EU), as emphasized in many EU strategic documents. Among the latest is EU Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers (EU, 2019), which requires countries to introduce measures that encourage fathers to take on childcare responsibilities to balance family and professional life. At the national level, the directive has been implemented in various ways; in some countries, a new type of leave targeting fathers has been introduced. This paper focuses on Lithuania, where parental leave policies were modified in 2023, and a new type of leave was thus introduced: Non-Transferable Parental Leave Months (NTPM). The NTPM leave is designed as a “take it or leave it” policy scheme. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This paper aims to identify trends in the uptake of NTPM by fathers in Lithuania, and to reveal socio-economic and family-related factors that contribute to the use of this new family policy measure. The theoretical foundations…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: childcare
  topic: keywords
subject: childcare leave
  topic: keywords
subject: gender equality
  topic: keywords
subject: non-transferable parental leave months
  topic: keywords
subject: fatherhood
  topic: keywords
creator: Dovilė Galdauskaitė
creator: Aušra Maslauskaitė
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Dovilė Galdauskaitė | Aušra Maslauskaitė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-24
publication date: 2026-07-24
starting page: 78
ending page: 94
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2027.34.5

Childbirth Experiences of Socially Vulnerable Women and Their Associations with the Risk of Postpartum Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
type: item
description: <strong class="boldas" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <em class="italic" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Background:<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> Socially vulnerable women are at an increased risk of negative childbirth experiences and subsequent postpartum mental health difficulties; however, empirical evidence on these associations remains limited in the Lithuanian context. <em class="italic" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: traumatic birth experience
  topic: keywords
subject: postpartum depression
  topic: keywords
subject: post-traumatic stress disorder
  topic: keywords
subject: social vulnerability
  topic: keywords
creator: Lina Gabrijolavičienė
creator: Egle Šumskienė
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Lina Gabrijolavičienė | Egle Šumskienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-28
publication date: 2026-05-28
starting page: 125
ending page: 137
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2026.32.8

Lithuanian Population’s Attitude Towards Vaccines
type: item
description: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Attitudes towards vaccination and the choice of information sources about vaccination are important factors related to public perceptions of vaccines. The aim of this study was to analyse the attitudes of residents of the Republic of Lithuania towards vaccination according to sociodemographic characteristics. The study used data from <em class="italic" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Eurobarometer 91.2<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">, including only Lithuanian respondents (N = 1004). Binary and multinomial nominal logistic regression were applied for data analysis. The findings showed that attitudes towards vaccination and the choic…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: vaccination
  topic: keywords
subject: attitudes towards vaccines
  topic: keywords
subject: information sources
  topic: keywords
subject: sociodemographic factors
  topic: keywords
creator: Evelina Petraitytė
creator: Daiva Skučienė
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Evelina Petraitytė | Daiva Skučienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-08
publication date: 2026-07-08
starting page: 37
ending page: 47

Patterns and Challenges of Family Life Course Sequences in Lithuania and Europe
type: item
description: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The goal of this article is aimed at the identification of the behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of the Lithuanian population towards several key events at the start of adult life course, i.e., when it is the most appropriate to initiate the first events of cohabitation with partner, marriage union, and becoming a parent, and when these events have been completed. Conceptually, the article assesses the extent to which these attitudes are influenced by normative cultural attitudes, and how the so-called ‘standard’ sequence of family life events (partnership, marriage, childbearing) is accessible to maintain. Furthermore, it has been examined to what extent the family life scenarios identified in the Lithuanian population are close to the scenarios in other European countries. The empirical part of the paper is based on analysis from the European Social Survey (ESS) Round 9 data. The research was conducted by using various methods – from descriptive sequencing data to regression analysis. The results show that only a minor proportion of the respondents consider that their family life has been started in a timely manner, while the sequence of the life course for most Lithuanians does not coincide with their expectation and perception of the most appropriate time to start those events. These discrepancies provide evidence to the general assumption about the uneven development of modern Lithuanian society and the different experiences of structural changes between generations which ha…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Life course
  topic: keywords
subject: standardized family life trajectory
  topic: keywords
subject: cohabitation
  topic: keywords
subject: marriage union
  topic: keywords
subject: parenthood
  topic: keywords
creator: Rasa Indriliūnaitė
creator: Apolonijus Žilys
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Rasa Indriliūnaitė | Apolonijus Žilys https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-03-23
publication date: 2026-03-23
starting page: 8
ending page: 28
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2027.34.1

The Political Implications of Generational Demographic Change
type: item
description: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Demographic changes such as aging and fertility portend many things. They include impacts for labor and employment, pensions, and schooling. But do demographic changes implicate political change? A generation ago, American scholars examined racial demographic changes in the US and forecasted an ‘emerging Democratic majority’. This did not occur. But, since that prediction, the US as well as the rest of the world has experienced generational shifts, seeing the exiting of the pre-WWII and now the post-WWII or Baby Boomer generations and their replacement with the Millennials and Gen Z. Using the US as a case study, this paper examines the political impact which the shift in generations has had upon American politics, along with predictions regarding what this shift will mean for the immediate future. The thesis is that much of the conflict in US politics in the last twenty years has been driven in part by generation differences. Moreover, while there are generally significant generation differences in political attitudes in the US, such differences are not uniform, and they are mediated by race, class, and gender such that while there are possibilities for significant political change in terms of party composition and public policy, there is no guarantee regarding the exact direction.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Demographics
  topic: keywords
subject: Generations
  topic: keywords
subject: Generational Change
  topic: keywords
subject: Living Memory
  topic: keywords
subject: History
  topic: keywords
creator: David Schultz
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 David Schultz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-11
publication date: 2026-05-11
starting page: 29
ending page: 44
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2027.34.2

Quality of Long-Term Care in an LTC Outlier: Insights from the Greek Case
type: item
description: <p class="ISSN-abst-virsus" lang="lt-LT" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Population ageing, within an evolving socioeconomic and technological landscape, has brought renewed attention to the quality of Long-Term Care (LTC), a multidimensional concept encompassing, inter alia, regulatory design, monitoring capacity, service delivery structures, user engagement and workforce conditions. Yet, substantial cross-national variation in the definition and operationalisation of ‘LTC quality’ – including the absence of any definition in some national legislations – hinders comparative understanding and system-wide improvement. Greece represents a particularly instructive case. Despite having one of the fastest-ageing populations in Europe and the EU’s lowest public expenditure on LTC, the LTC sector in this country remains characterised by fragmented governance, minimal public investment, heavy reliance on informal and migrant carers, and the near absence of palliative care, dementia services and quality-assurance mechanisms. Against this background, this exploratory article examines how key stakeholders conceptualise LTC quality, the challenges they identify, and the pathways they consider necessary for improvement. <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" lang="lt-LT" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Long-term care
  topic: keywords
subject: LTC quality
  topic: keywords
subject: Greece
  topic: keywords
subject: ageing and demographic changes
  topic: keywords
subject: welfare state sustainability
  topic: keywords
creator: Varvara (Berry) Lalioti
rights: Copyright (c) 2027 Varvara (Berry) Lalioti https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-06-11
publication date: 2026-06-11
starting page: 63
ending page: 77
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2027.34.4

The Impact of the ‘Preparing for the Labour Market’ Status on the Employment Prospects of Older Jobseekers of the Lithuanian Employment Service
type: item
description: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">A person’s status of ‘preparing for the labour market’ (PPLM) is a new instrument applied by the Employment Service to support individuals facing barriers to labour market participation, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">with the provision of integrated case management support<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">. Older unemployed people are <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: 'preparing for the labour market' status
  topic: keywords
subject: categorisation of the unemployed
  topic: keywords
subject: older jobseekers
  topic: keywords
subject: distance from the labour market
  topic: keywords
creator: Inga Nomeikienė
creator: Julija Moskvina
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Inga Nomeikienė | Julija Moskvina https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-11
publication date: 2026-05-11
starting page: 45
ending page: 62
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2027.34.3

The Power of a Social Worker in Healthcare Institutions: “Splendors and Miseries”
type: item
description: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The article raises the idea that the role of a social worker employed in a healthcare institution, which has remained unchanged for more than 10 years, cannot meet the full spectrum of nursing and social needs of elderly people, people with disabilities, and people with addictions. The theoretical part reviews the range of factors that increase social problems in an old age, and then these factors are backed by empirical data. The research was conducted by using a method of qualitative descriptive phenomenological analysis, revealing the structure of the experience of a social worker at a healthcare institution. The study results have revealed that social workers in healthcare institutions experience significant pressure due to a lack of inter-institutional cooperation and systemic gaps that prevent them from providing timely assistance to patients with substantial needs. An elderly client with disabilities and addictions becomes an inconvenient client – she is tossed around like a tennis ball from one service provider to another. The client rudely rejects the help offered, thus further increasing his/her social exclusion. Due to the lack of cooperation between health and social protection institutions, social workers in healthcare institutions find themselves in a challenging professional and emotional situation: they must endure strong emotional shocks and resolve ethical dilemmas. Healthcare professionals must also balance humanity with legal restrictions. The gap in legal an…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: phenomenological analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: social worker experience
  topic: keywords
subject: social service organization
  topic: keywords
subject: disabled person who consumes alcohol
  topic: keywords
creator: Asta Vaitkevičienė
creator: Vaidutė Ringienė
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Asta Vaitkevičienė | Vaidutė Ringienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-12-01
publication date: 2025-12-01
starting page: 129
ending page: 146
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2025.30.8

The Transformative Potential of Social Theatre Experience: “Taksai. Direction – Kaunas” Audience Reflections
type: item
description: <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" lang="lt-LT" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This study contributes to a broader understanding of social theatre as a multidimensional practice which closely links artistic and social dimensions, potentially generating meaningful experiences for audiences and fostering transformation. The article examines the transformative effect of social theatre, based on the performative tour Taksai [local slang for ‘taxis’]. Direction – Kaunas. The aim of the research is to reveal how audiences experience social theatre and what significance this experience has for transformation. The study used semi-structured interviews with 11 participants (audience members) and analyzed the data by using reflective thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke (2022). <p class="ISSN-abst-vidus" lang="lt-LT" style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The analysis of the results reveals that participation in this social theatre led to a multi-layered transformation, affecting personal cognitive, emotional, and behavioral levels. Participants in the performative tours were not just passive observers but rather active contributors to the theatrical experience…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: social theatre
  topic: keywords
subject: social arts
  topic: keywords
subject: transformation
  topic: keywords
subject: P. Freire
  topic: keywords
subject: A. Boal
  topic: keywords
creator: Uršulė Toleikytė
creator: Donata Petružytė
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Uršulė Toleikytė | Donata Petružytė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-02-01
publication date: 2026-02-01
starting page: 8
ending page: 20
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2025.32.8

Social Arts Practices: Knowledge within the Field of Social Work and In-Between Fields
type: item
description: The production of knowledge in the realm of social arts practices involves various disciplines. The discourse of these practice is polyphonic and multi-layered. Notably, research on social arts within the scope of social work has been expanding. Yet, the field of social work remains differently defined, with divergent definitions provided by researchers and practitioners. As a result, the discourse regarding the intersection of social arts and social work research is scattered and encompasses a range of knowledge, often loosely interconnected. Some researchers are concentrated on delineate the field of social work, while others – in between fields. However, existing research lacks a profound sociological analysis. Such an analysis could provide insights into how the knowledge of social arts practices is shaped within the context of social work. This raises questions about the role of social arts practices in social work research, how they are conceptualised and the significance of this knowledge in enhancing our comprehension of these practices. Consequently, this study aims is to bridge these knowledge gaps and reflect further constructive path for future research into social arts practices. In this literature analysis of social work research related to social arts we will adopt P. Bourdieu field theory approach.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: social arts practises
  topic: keywords
subject: social work
  topic: keywords
subject: discourse
  topic: keywords
subject: Pierre Bourdieu
  topic: keywords
subject: the field
  topic: keywords
creator: Uršulė Toleikytė
creator: Tadas Šarūnas
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Uršulė Toleikytė | Tadas Šarūnas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2025-07-02
publication date: 2025-07-02
starting page: 117
ending page: 128
doi: 10.15388/STEPP.2025.30.7