This thesis had two maim aims. First to analyse the work of municipal social workers in Pardubice county. It sought to answer following questions: what are the current practices of OSPOD workers in various areas of their work? What will the new law on social protection of children change? What else is needed to move closer the best possible practise? The second aim was to estimate what proportion of children currently placed in institutions for babies in Pardubice county would need foster in case the institutions were closed down and what proportion of children currently placed need not be removed from the family at all were their families provided with support. As for the first aim, the analysis has shown that many aspects of the work of OSPOD play an important in the system of care for vulnerable children, yet the current practise in most of them significantly lags behind what could be called best possible practise. The new law will change the situation only partly. On the positive side significant changes in the practise of OSPOD is achievable. As for the second aim, due to limitations of available data, only very rough estimates could be made. But the estimates suggest that not so huge human and financial resources would be required to replace institutions for babies

This paper deals with the relationships between family members in a later stage of the family life-cycle, parents have lost their full self-sufficiency. Adult children support their parents, interaction is frequent and this situation often leads to relocation. The basic question of this study is how these circumstances affects a relations between family members and especially intergenerational relationships between adult children and their parents. The paper is mainly based on the concept of ambivalence and the model of intergenerational solidarity. The research conducted in Czech Republic is a further important background. Data from the research titled "Family Cohesion in the Elderly Care" are analyzed. This research is implemented under the guidance of Prof. PhDr.Hynek Jerabek, CSc. and has a qualitative and quantitative part. Author uses the concepts such as conflict, ambivalence and affectual solidarity to describe intergenerational relationships. The conclusion is that intergenerational relationships in families are characterized by a very strong emotional bond, although high degree of conflict and negative emotion also appeared.

1 Name of paper / Name of work The implementation of social services quality standards in residential facilities for elderly people - Ethical aspects Abstract The changes in the approach to the clients and adjustments of the run of the facility to their needs are one of the biggest long-term challenges for the service providers. The basis for the correct setting of all the parameters of service (process, personnel and operating) are standards in the quality of social services which involve certain principles and ethical values altogether. One of the essential tools in the changes in approach to clients is the principle of individualization of care, which can be achieved by setting the services to each client individually so that the service provided reflects their real need as much as possible. This dissertation focuses on the individualization of care as a significant indicator in the changes of approach to clients. We tried to figure how the individualization of care reflects in the attitudes of organizations to implement quality standards and how it affects the worker's personality and chosen organizational aspects. An interim goal of this paper was also to identify the ethical aspects which can accompany the introduction of quality standards into practice. We have chosen a method of quantitative...

I focus on the nature of the discourses of the birth themselves and on the form of their controversies, which are tied to their confrontations in Czech web articles. I examine the discourses and their strife in the articles of active participants of the dispute and on the most popular website in the articles dedicated to (future) parents. The discourse of the actively medically controlled delivery, perceives a birth as an inscrutable risky phenomenon which is medically necessary to keep always in a hospital with a staffing and material background to deal with possible complications. This discourse criticizes the births that are led outside hospitals. The discourse of the natural birth sees a birth as a natural part of life, during which usually no complications occur, if there is present a trained expert, who does not interfere in the natural process of labor, except any required medical reasons. A natural birth can be taken place in home. The reader are warned by this discourse on the improper routine care in Czech hospitals, which is inconsistent with the needs of the mother and the child, and on complications of a birth caused by the active medical leading of labor. The articles on the popular website are mainly influenced by the discourse of the actively medically controlled birth. These...

À partir des réflexions du phénoménologue tchèque Jan Patočka et des études du philosophe français Michel Foucault, on interroge le thème du souci – de soi, de l’âme, des autres, du monde – en tant que forme de relation éthique. Dans l'éclipse des systèmes de valeurs traditionnelles, les recherches sur la notion du souci peuvent ouvrir une perspective éthique à même de reformuler les termes de la responsabilité collective.Le point de départ c’est un passage du dernier cours de Foucault au Collège de France (Le courage de la vérité), où le philosophe renvoie à la pensée de Patočka. Foucault reconnaît à l'auteur tchèque d'avoir été le seul philosophe contemporain à avoir approfondi le principe ancien de l'epimeleia. Cependant, selon Foucault, sa propre recherche – construite autour de la notion de epimeleia heautou, c'est-à-dire le souci comme mise à l'épreuve, problématisation et stylisation du soi – différerait de celle de Patočka, qui vise plus l'étude de l'epimeleia tes psychés, à savoir l’âme sous le profil ontologique et gnoséologique.Tout d’abord, la thèse de Foucault encourage une analyse de la signification du terme « âme » dans le contexte de la phénoménologie asubjective élaborée par Patočka. En second lieu, elle invite à étudier la notion de « soi » à l’oeuvre dans les derniers textes de Foucault. En interrogeant les rapports entre les processus singulières de subjectivation et le bios en tant que « mode de vie » ou « style d’existence », on arrive à poser le problème de la vie en tant qu’horizon ontologique de l'être en commun. On s’interroge sur la possibilité d’un « souci dubios » qui soit à la fois « lien de vie » et « forme de vie » : souci du bios comme ontologie critique des conditions rendant possible la reconnaissance de la vie en tant que dimension de la co-appartenance, et, en même temps, attitude éthique à se faire charge de sa vulnérabilité. / Starting from the research of the Czech phenomenologist Jan Patočka and the studies of the French philosopher Michel Foucault, this thesis investigates the question of the care – of the self, for the soul, of the others, of the world – as a form of ethical relationship. In the twilight of the traditional value systems, the ethical perspective in researches on the notion of care enables a redefinition of collective responsibility.The starting point is a paragraph of the Foucault’s last course at the Collège de France (Courage Of Truth), where the philosopher refers to Patočka’s work. Foucault marks a separation between his work, focused on the theme of the bios, as opposed to that of Patočka, centred on the issue of the psyche. According to Foucault, his own research on epimeleia heautou as problematization and stylization of the self is different from that of Patočka, who is interested in the ontological and epistemological facets of the concept of soul .First, Foucault’s thesis encourages an analysis of the meaning of the word “soul” in the context of the asubjective phenomenology developed by Patočka. Second, it suggests to focus on the notion of “self” in last texts of Foucault.Questioning the relationship between the processes of subjectivation and the bios as a “style of existence”, we start considering life as ontological horizon of being in common. This thinking allows for the possibility of “care for the bios” as both “bond of life” and “way of life”: as critical ontology of the conditions that govern the recognition of life as ontological dimension of being in common, on the one hand; and as ethical attitude to protect the bios’s vulnerability on the other. / A partire dalle riflessioni del fenomenologo cèco Jan Patočka e dagli studi del filosofo francese Michel Foucault, questa ricerca intende esplorare il tema della cura – di sé, dell’anima, degli altri, del mondo – in quanto forma di relazione etica. Nell’eclissi dei sistemi valoriali tradizionali, le ricerche sulla nozione di cura possono offrire una prospettiva etica capace di riformulare i termini della responsabilità collettiva. Il punto di partenza è un passaggio dell’ultimo corso di Foucault al Collège de France (Il coraggio della verità), dove il filosofo fa riferimento al pensiero di Patočka. Foucault riconosce all’autore ceco di essere stato il solo autore contemporaneo ad aver approfondito il principio antico dell’epimeleia. Tuttavia, secondo Foucault, la propria personale ricerca – articolata attorno alla nozione di epimeleia heautou, cioè di cura come messa alla prova, problematizzazione e stilizzazione di sé – differirebbe da quella di Patočka, più interessata allo studio dell’epimeleia tes psyches, ossia all’anima sotto il profilo ontologico e gnoseologico.Innanzitutto, la tesi di Foucault incoraggia un’analisi del significato del termine “anima” nel contesto della fenomenologia asoggettiva elaborata da Patočka. In secondo luogo, invita a studiare la nozione di “sé” presente negli ultimi testi di Foucault. Indagando i rapporti tra i processi singolari di soggettivazione e il bios in quanto “modo di vita” o “stile di esistenza”, si arriva a porre il problema della vita in quanto orizzonte ontologico dell’essere in comune. Ci si interroga così sulla possibilità di una cura del bios che sia insieme “legame di vita” e “modo di vita”: cura del bios come ontologia critica delle condizioni che rendono possibile il riconoscimento della vita, intesa come dimensione della coappartenenza, e allo stesso tempo attitudine etica a farsi carico della sua vulnerabilità.

1 Name of paper / Name of work The implementation of social services quality standards in residential facilities for elderly people - Ethical aspects Abstract The changes in the approach to the clients and adjustments of the run of the facility to their needs are one of the biggest long-term challenges for the service providers. The basis for the correct setting of all the parameters of service (process, personnel and operating) are standards in the quality of social services which involve certain principles and ethical values altogether. One of the essential tools in the changes in approach to clients is the principle of individualization of care, which can be achieved by setting the services to each client individually so that the service provided reflects their real need as much as possible. This dissertation focuses on the individualization of care as a significant indicator in the changes of approach to clients. We tried to figure how the individualization of care reflects in the attitudes of organizations to implement quality standards and how it affects the worker's personality and chosen organizational aspects. An interim goal of this paper was also to identify the ethical aspects which can accompany the introduction of quality standards into practice. We have chosen a method of quantitative...

This study aims to analyze the underlying factors and barriersinfluencing undocumented adults' access to healthcare in Sweden. By focusing on the experiences of five respondents associated with the Swedish Red Cross, the essay seeks to shed light on and enhance the understanding of the limitations faced by undocumented adults, regarding their access to healthcare in Sweden. This study has a qualitative research approach with semi-structured interviews. The studyaddresses three theories for understanding the factors and barriers that affect the access to healthcare by using Goffman (1963) stigma, Young (2011) social justice and Rothstein (2003) trust and social contract theory. The result of the study shows insights information from five respondents of the factors affecting undocumented adults' healthcare access in Sweden. The study ultimately reveals that stigmatization, trust, fear, and social networks are underlying factors that impact the access to healthcare for undocumented adults in Sweden. Additionally,socio-economic barriers are identified as limiting the opportunities for undocumented adults to access healthcare in Sweden. The research highlights that these challenges are not merely individual choices or priorities but rather a result of complex factors and structural impediments. Therefore, addressing the obstacles and underlying factors requires a collective approach to observe and understand the root causes affecting the access to healthcare in Swedenfor undocumented adults.

in English language This thesis focuses on foster care for a transitional period. The aim of the thesis is to describe the role of foster carers for a transitional period, OSPOD workers and foster family guides in period between the process of taking a foster child for a transitional period and re-transferring to a biological family or one of the long-term types of foster care. The thesis describes foster care for a transitional period and individual roles according to available literature, legislation, methodology and interviews with actors themselves. The partial goal is to find out how participants perceive each other, what they expect, what competencies they should have. Another partial aim of this work is methodological recommendation.

The tax system in South Africa makes provision for every South African citizen to contribute to a greater or lesser extent to funding the National Health Insurance (NHI), either through VAT or PAYE. However, as a result of the high unemployment rate, a large gap exists between tax and non-tax contributors. The question can now be asked whether it is fair that just a small percentage of taxpayers are responsible for the total funding of the NHI. Furthermore, it could be asked whether the taxpayer is aware of the additional tax burden the NHI will impose on him/her. The purpose of this research was to investigate three countries, namely, Brazil, Spain and Germany, where some form of NHI is in operation, in order to find a possible appropriate funding model for South Africa's NHI and, ultimately, to make conclusions and recommendations based on the outcomes. It was subsequently found that, although the taxpayer should be more heavily taxed in order to fund the NHI, there are a few other possibilities for distributing the tax burden more evenly. However, the impact of the proposed adjustment to increase VAT could have a negative impact on the non-taxpayer and might contribute to greater poverty in South Africa. / MCom (South African and International Taxation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The tax system in South Africa makes provision for every South African citizen to contribute to a greater or lesser extent to funding the National Health Insurance (NHI), either through VAT or PAYE. However, as a result of the high unemployment rate, a large gap exists between tax and non-tax contributors. The question can now be asked whether it is fair that just a small percentage of taxpayers are responsible for the total funding of the NHI. Furthermore, it could be asked whether the taxpayer is aware of the additional tax burden the NHI will impose on him/her. The purpose of this research was to investigate three countries, namely, Brazil, Spain and Germany, where some form of NHI is in operation, in order to find a possible appropriate funding model for South Africa's NHI and, ultimately, to make conclusions and recommendations based on the outcomes. It was subsequently found that, although the taxpayer should be more heavily taxed in order to fund the NHI, there are a few other possibilities for distributing the tax burden more evenly. However, the impact of the proposed adjustment to increase VAT could have a negative impact on the non-taxpayer and might contribute to greater poverty in South Africa. / MCom (South African and International Taxation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014