African American youth experience individual and institutional level discrimination (e.g., Berkel et al., 2009; Jones, 1997). These experiences negatively impact their overall well-being (e.g., Harris-Britt et al., 2007; Wang & Huguley, 2012). African American parents use racial socialization to teach their children strategies to cope with racial discrimination (e.g., McAdoo, 2002; Peters, 1997). Given the positive impact of racial socialization on the negative outcomes associated with discrimination (e.g., Bynum et al., 2007), more work is needed to understand how contextual factors influence this process. The current study used qualitative methods to examine racial socialization in response to two levels of school-based discrimination. Directed content analysis was used on transcripts from ten focus groups of African American parents (N= 73). Results indicated that parents provided similar cultural socialization messages in response to both levels of discrimination whereas preparation for bias messages differed. Implications for preparing youth for school-based discrimination are discussed.

The primary aim of this research study is to examine how contextual and psychological variables interact on the development of Latina adolescents’ interests in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The literature review starts with an overview of career interest development theories and an identification of key common factors. The major factors of parent socialization and the social constructions of gender and ethnicity are then discussed with particular emphasis on how they may influence interest development for middle school Latina students. This section concludes with an investigation into differences in access to school science and math resources, an environmental factor that also impacts development. The final section proposes a quantitative analysis that will address various questions raised in the literature review. The proposed study consists of correlations and linear regressions, controlling for background variables, as well as investigating interactions between identified factors. / text

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Emigracija iš Lietuvos neigiamai veikia ne tik šalies socialinę ir ūkio raidą, švietimo, darbo, sveikatos apsaugos ir kitų sričių padėtį, bet ir daro ypatingą žalą šeimoms bei vaikams, kurie dėl šių priežasčių gyvena atskirai. Vaikas turi teisę žinoti savo tėvus, būti auklėjamas ir aprūpinamas savo tėvų, bendrauti su jais. Tėvų emigracija yra didelis smūgis vaikui, perimant šeimos tradicijas, vertybes bei formuojant savo identitetą – savąjį Aš. Netekęs vieno iš tėvų vaikas netenka ir identifikacijos. Magistro darbe kokybinės ir kiekybinės duomenų analizės pagrindu bandoma išryškinti šias tendencijas: a) būdingesnius emigraciją patyrusių vaikų socializacijos ypatumus jų elgesio lygmeniu, išreiškiančiu internalizuotų vertybių pobūdį; b) egzistuojančius ryškesnius elgesio skirtumus tarp tokių vaikų ir šios patirties neturinčių bendraamžių elgesio; c) galimus veiksnius, turinčius vienokios ar kitokios įtakos emigraciją patyrusių vaikų globos, priežiūros ir jų teisių apsaugos efektyvinimui. Nustatyta, kad emigraciją patyrusių vaikų elgesys kai kuriais internalizuotų vertybių atvejais (atvirumo, savitvardos bei solidarumo) statistiškai reikšmingai skiriasi nuo pilnose šeimose augančių vienmečių elgesio, kurie savo elgesiu daugiau išreiškia atvirumo, tikėjimo kitais ir savimi, jautrumo bei pagarbos vertybes. Taip pat rasta, kad emigraciją patyrę vaikai kiek nepalankiau vertina savo namus, tėvus ir vertina pačią emigraciją nei šios netekties nepatyrę jų bendraamžiai. Ekspertų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Emigrational processes from Lithuania negatively affect not only country’s social and economic evolution. However, the condition of education, employment, health care, and other spheres are affected as well, especially having in mind families and children, who live separately because of emigration causes. Child has a right to know his/her parents, to be educated and nourished by the members of family, and also to communicate with parents. One of the parents emigration is quite an impact for a child, who puts much effort while internalizing family’s traditions, values, and forming self identity, i.e. self I. By loosing one of the parents, child loses his/her identity. Thus in this Master research project, taking in account both quantitative and qualitative methods (based on triangulation principle), such issues were taken to solve: a) children, who have experienced parents’ emigration, socialization peculiarities based on their behavior level that expresses internalized values; b) existing differences of such children – both experienced and non-experienced parents’ emigration – behavior; c) possible factors that may have an influence for the effectiveness of those children care, guardianship, and their rights protection. It was set that children, who have experienced parents’ emigration, behavior in some cases statistically meaningful differ from those who do not have such an experience, e.g. having in mind such values as openness, self-control, and solidarity. Meanwhile... [to full text]

Youth influence in Örnsköldsvik municipality -A thematic analysis of young people's ability to gain more influence in Örnsköldsvik This study is based on three focus group interviews with minors living in Örnsköldsviks municipality. The aim is to investigate what minor individuals want to gain more influence in that concerns their citizenship rights. It also aims to investigate what obstacles there is in their surroundings that prevent them from influencing it. I have conducted semi-structured interviews with the focus groups. The theoretical framework consist of T.H Marshalls theories about citizenship, with the division of civil, political and social rights. Important theoretical conclusions from Tom Bottomore and Rut Lister theories about different group’s substantial opportunities to use their rights in their citizenship has also been used. The conclusion is that the minors living in Örnsköldsvik want to get more influence on their school, places to meet and the opportunity to create a culture place for them to practice music and other culture. The minors experience several obstacles to being able to gain real influence on their citizenship rights. Their young age was one explanation, but there are also laws and rules that prevent them from participating and gaining influenceof their rights in their citizenship

Research object: parents attitudes towards vocational orientation service in the secondary school. Research aim: to discover parents attitudes towards vocational orientation service in the secondary school. Research objectives: • To define how parents who have 8th – 12th grades children are informed about vocational information sources and services lent in secondary school; • To find out expression of parents attitudes towards vocational orientation services at school; • To educe parents opinion about effectiveness of vocational orientation service at school. Research methods: • Quantitative research (questionnaire) • Statistical data analysis Conclusions: Parents’ awareness about vocational orientation services at school is not sufficient. It is a lack between supply and demand of vocational orientation services. Only half of 61 established vocational information places are allocated at schools and parents are not enough informed about such services at school. The most part of respondents have adequate understanding about vocational orientation aim, quality and timeliness. In most respondents view vocational orientation activities at school are not efficient and fall short of children requirements. According to the research data there are not enough vocational orientation activities for children and parents at school. Respondents emphasize that the most proper time to start intensive vocational orientation is 9th grade when children need to choose their study... [to full text]

Šiuolaikinėje visuomenėje egzistuojantis požiūris į lyčių vaidmenis priklauso nuo daugelio kultūrinių, ekonominių, politinių veiksnių. Sunkiausiai kelią į aktyvų gyvenimą skiriasi arabų šalių moterys, kur egzistuoja griežtas lyčių atskyrimas. Požiūris į lyčių vaidmenis skiriasi ir pačiose visuomenėse tarp atskirų socialinių sluoksnių, etninių grupių ir pan. Aktuali lieka vaidmenų kitimo problema ypač jaunose šeimose. Nemažai krizių kyla dėl sunkumų įsisavinant naujus vaidmenis. Bet kokiam socialiniam vaidmeniui įsisavinti reikia laiko, kad galėtų suvokti jo ribas, vaidmenų sąlygojamas pareigas ir teises. Per daug greitas vaidmenų įsisavinimas, nespėjant suvokti jo esmės, sukelia krizes. Kuriant šeimą socialinių vaidmenų kitimas atrodo taip: jaunuolis - vyras- tėvas, mergina- žmona- motina. Pereiti nuo vieno vaidmens prie kito reikia laiko, todėl labai svarbus jaunimo ugdymas, jo ruošimas tam tikriems vaidmenims šeimoje. Šiuolaikinėje visuomenėje, vykstant šeimos transformacijai, labai svarbi tampa santykių tarp lyčių kaita. Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucijos 29 straipsnis skelbia, kad žmogaus teisių negalima varžyti dėl jo lyties ( Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija, 2002 ). Tačiau realiame gyvenime moterys dažniau susiduria su nelygybe. Visuomenės nuomonė lemia mūsų elgesį. Vaikas, mokydamasis kalbėti, galvoti, jausti perima jo aplinkai būdingus kultūrinius požiūrius ir vertybes- jie tampa jo paties nuomone, vertybėmis... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Contemporary conception of human social development is based on the principle of conceding equal possibilities for all members of society. The problems of sexual equality, the assurance of equal possibilities for males and females are discussed in the press, in the works of sociologists and psychologists. The 29th article of the Constitution of Lithuanian republic announces that the human rights can not be restricted due to their sexes. However, in real life we usually come into collision with inequality. It is especially urgent in families. Frequently wives work hired labour and do more house-works than their husbands. Therefore, investigations related with the distribution of roles between men and women in families become urgent. The aim of this master's paper - is to analyze the formation of regulations of sexual role distribution and to elucidate, which attitude to the distribution of sexual roles in families prevails in younger genders and what influences the formation of the attitude of younger generations. Existing view to the sexual roles in families in contemporary society depends on many cultural, economical and political factors. After the Soviet dictatorship had failed in Lithuania, most of the women, having felt free and enable to choose, thought that they would be satisfied with the role of a housewife. After a decade had passed, this opinion changed. Women began to seek for losing touch with the house-works, for professional perfection. This view is... [to full text]

Problema. Švietimas - prioritetinė valstybės veiklos sritis. Kalbėdami apie švietimą , kalbame apie jaunosios kartos ugdymą ir lavinimą. . Kaip pastebėjo sociologas A. Giddensas , „asmenybės ypatingumas yra ne jos kraujo sudėtis ar abstrakti žmogaus fizinė prigimtis, o jo socialinė vertė“ (17, 1989, p. 72). Asmenybe ne gimstama, o tampama. Popamokinis ugdymas Lietuvoje nesusilaukia pakankamai dėmesio. Nemaža dalis vaikų nėra papildomai lavinami, tobulinami. Pertvarka, nauji vėjai. 1992m., subyrėjus Tarybų Sąjungai, griuvus Berlyno sienai, žlugus į Rytus ir Vakarus po Antrojo pasaulinio karo padalytam pasauliui, Europai, o ypač rytinėms jos šalims, iškilo nemažai ekonominių, politinių ir kultūrinių sunkumų. Atgauta tautinė nepriklausomybė sukėlė jausmų sumaištį: pasikeitus situacijai reikėjo daug ką permąstyti: tautinės, tradicinės nuostatos pynėsi su poreikiu modernėti ir tarptautėti. Lietuva kartu su kitomis Rytų Europos šalimis ėmė krypti į Vakarus: pradėti plėtoti santykiai su Vakarų Europos valstybėmis, užmegzta nemaža ryšių tarp Lietuvos ir Skandinavijos. Vieni jų – bendradarbiavimas, plėtojant darbą Lietuvos vaikų darželiuose, mokyklose. Visuomenės padėtis. Pastarąjį dvidešimtmetį iškilo trys svarbios socialinės problemos, netiesiogiai veikiančios šeimą. Vis sparčiau auga smurtas, nuvertėjančios moralės normos ir vis didėjanti emigracija, vaikus paliekant su seneliais, giminaičiais ar globėjais . Smurto mūsų visuomenėje daugėja, tiek smurto prieš asmenį... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / For many years (actually, the entire period of Soviet rule) the Lithuanian educational culture was dominated by the idea that children ought to be regarded as insufficiently mature individuals from the social point of view. So, the development of writing, reading, and counting skills was in the focus of attention. This implied leaving the development of personality to itself. Promoted by teachers working at pre-school and school institutions, these views needed correction. However, the correction was a rather complicated endeavour in the first years of Lithuanian educational system reform (1992-1996). Foreign scholars regard children’s education at kindergartens or primary schools as a vital link in the education system chain. In their opinion, it is equivalent to other links, including the regular school and the adults’ education. Thus, reforms were related with the cultural and social significance of childhood stage, and with the changes in children and adults’ education - an absolutely essential thing for the survival of our nation. Lithuania needs a pattern of education. It must be new from the qualitative point of view, and, what is more, it must be geared to the needs of the 21st c. The emerging knowledge society brings up more complex requirements. With the increasing mutual independence, the development of human relations is becoming more and more urgent today. National economies are turning into international or even trans-national ones. People of the world interact... [to full text]

Šeima yra svarbiausia žmogui pirminė socialinė grupė.Šeima tai vaiko ir visuomenės tarpininkas ir pagrindinė socializacijos institucija, kurioje formuojamos elgesio normos ir vertybės, būtinos gyvenimui visuomenėje.Todėl labai svarbu,kad ji būtų tvirta ir dora. / For the human the family is the basic primory social grup.The family is an intercessor for child and society and the main institution of socialisation wherein the proprieties and values that are essential for living in the society are formed.Conseguently it is very important that the family would be definite and hnest.