The Role of Employers on the Labour Market in Bulgaria

Author(s): Rumyana Stoilova,Veneta Krasteva,Gabriela Yordanova / Language(s): English Issue: Special/2017

: The article offers a comparison between young persons’ assessments of the difficulties encountered when seeking employment and employers’ assessments of the difficulty to find suitable employees. The authors use a mixed methods approach, which involves interpreting quantitative data obtained from online questionnaires for employers, and a qualitative method, consisting in interviews with young people, conducted in 2016 in the framework of the international project Negotiate. The study registers a shortage of staff in five sectors of employment in Bulgaria, together with the presence of attitudes, among those selecting people for recruitment, which limit the potential circle of candidates for job openings on the basis of ethnic origin. Frequent change of jobs is assessed by young employment candidates as being a possibility for obtaining additional experience, but is seen by employers as a scarring signal that has greater negative weight than the periods of unemployment in the candidate’s CV. Establishing a greater congruity between the expectations of employers and of young candidates for jobs provides a significant possibility for reducing youth unemployment and compensating for the shortage of staff. This congruity is connected with the young persons’ level and profile of education attained when leaving high school and university, to the specific actions they undertake in the transition from education to employment (where it is better to avoid frequent changes of jobs), to a rejection of negative ethnicity-based or age-based stereotypes on the part of employers, and to wage levels, offered by employers, that will meet the expectations of young people.

Gdy coraz trudniej wyrazić siebie i opisać świat. Skala sprawności narracyjnych w diagnozie zaburzeń mowy w otępieniu alzheimerowskim

Author(s): Anna Stanisławska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1 (9)/2017

The review of: “Narracja i jej zaburzenia w otępieniu alzheimerowskim/Narration and its disorders in Alzheimer's dementia” by Aneta Domagała; Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej. Lublin 2015, s. 575

The state and perspectives of the pension and disability insurance system in the Republic of Serbia

Author(s): Goran Obradović / Language(s): English Issue: 11/2/2015

The paper deals with the current state of the system of pension and disability insurance in the Republic of Serbia and the possible directions of change. The author analyses the causes of an extremely poor status of the pension and disability insurance system, based on current financing and intergenerational solidarity. The disadvantages of this system, in addition to its indisputable advantages, are also pronounced in other countries that apply it. However, in countries such as Serbia, there are factors that further complicate its sustainability, such as poor demographic situation, high unemployment rate, and the like. In this context, the text provides a brief overview of the measures taken to date, with the analysis of their short-term and long-term effects. Finally, the author gives a personal view of the direction of development of the pension and disability insurance system in the Republic of Serbia.

Starci kao čuvari narodnih tradicija u prozi I. G. Kovačića

Author(s): Maja Kožić / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 8/1985

In seinem Werk hat I. G. Kovačič viele Seiten der Beschreibung des Bauemlebens in einem Teil der Lanschaft Gorski Kotar gewidmet. Dabei ist er sichtlich von emer Schicht des Bauemvolkes beeindruckt, die durch ein ungeschriebenes Gesetz bestimmt ist, die Verbindung mit den Traditionen zu wahren. Diese Schicht sind die Alten. Seine Erzählungen befassen sich mit der Zeit vom Beginn des ersten Weltkrieges bis zum Vorabend des zweiten, mit einer Geschichtlichen Situation also, in der das Leben der Landbevölkerung in einem dramatischen Wandel begriffen war. In der Brüchen, die dadurch entstanden, waren gerade diese Alten die einzigen Träger der beharrlichen Kontinuität von Anschauungen und Lebensformen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird gezeigt, wie I. G. Kovačič in seinen Prosawerken das Leben der Alten auf dem Lande beschreibt und wie er in ihnen die Bewahrer der Tradition und der nationalen Gefühle sieht. Dazu sagt er selber: » . . . Die alten Frauen und Männer haben mit Eifersucht und als Heiligtum all das bewahrt, worauf unsere, des kroatischen Volkes, Begeisterung und Stolz begründet sind. Die Grossmüter und die Grossväter haben uns unser altes und grosses kroatisches Hertz bewahrt.«

MARGINALIZACIJA OSOBA TREĆE ŽIVOTNE DOBI

Author(s): Anita Zovko,Jelena Vukobratović / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 4/2019

Person in the “third-age” represent a sensitive social group which is often associated with the negative connotations associated with incorrect beliefs about elderly age. Though age is only a chronological thing, in society (especially among young people) there is still some insensitivity to this “third-age” social group which affects the quality of their life. Within the current culture of hyper consumerism and celebration of so called The cult of youth, the marginalization of the third age is mostly reflected in everyday life mostly because of the lack of opportunities for closer intergenerational contact. In the focus of this work is aging, and the position of the elderly in society.. Paper describes a positive example in the practice on the example of the implementation of the course "Third Age Pedagogy" in the university study program of the Department of Pedagogy of the Faculty of Philosophy in Rijeka - the only one in the Republic of Croatia who deals with this issue. In the last part of the paper, through the qualitative methodology of the semi-structured interview of the course leader Ph.D. Anita Zovko and Ph.D. Jasminka Zloković describe their experiences and challenges in implementing the course which has in the meantime become a mechanism for intergenerational connectivity in the local community. Through the implementation of the study program, significant progress has been made in sensitizing the young to the third age and making a step forward in terms of the preventive effect of marginalization of the third-age people.

MEDGENERACIJSKO IZOBRAŽEVANJE ZA TRAJNOSTNI RAZVOJ KOT STRATEGIJA ZA DRUŽBENO VKLJUČEVANJE STAREJŠIH

Author(s): Nives Ličen,Aleksandra Šindić / Language(s): Slovenian Issue: 4/2019

Older adults are part of vulnerable target groups due to their relative lack of social power and sociopolitical exclusion. The Active Aging Index place Slovenia at the 23rd place of the 28 EU member states. The prevalence of stereotypes about older adults (ageisms) and bad practices presents an obstacle for active aging, making the development of new socially inclusive practices essential. In this work, the authors present the importance of intergenerational educational programmes for social inclusion and development of active aging in connection with the concepts of sustainable development and community education. In contrast to economic development, sustainable development is not based on material development with exploitation of natural resources and instead focuses on care for all generations and the entire planet. The conceptual framework for this work is formed by the concepts of lifelong learning, social justice, and intergenerational dialog.

Quality in Social Services? Intervention and Standards

Author(s): Simona Bodogai,Lioara-Elena Coturbaş,Rebeca Cenan / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2019

Objectives and methods: Do Romanian social services offer quality? The Ministry of Labor and Social Justice is in the process of reviewing minimum quality standards in the field of social services. The qualitative research presented in this article aims to respond to this very need of improving standards. We have analyzed the situation of Romania regarding the accreditation of social service providers and the process of licensing of elderly care services in residential centers. In order to accomplish this, we examined the relevant legislation in the area and interviewed the directly involved specialists, social service providers as well as assessors/ social inspectors. Results: The analysis of the data reveals the difficulties encountered in implementing the minimum quality standards, the conditions that should be taken into account at the establishment of any residential center, the proposals for the improvement of the accreditation procedure and of the existing standards. Implications: Any legislative changes (concerning minimum standards and not only), which the Ministry of Labor intends to make, must rely on concrete studies/ analyzes conducted by qualified researchers. Only in this way we have the guarantee that the changes really respond to the real needs of all those involved (in the current version of decision-making transparency, the points of view are rather individual and non-representative for the entire population involved).

Research in Social Work in the Last Decade. A Literature Review For 10 Years

Author(s): Alina Maria Breaz / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

The evolution of the social work system and of the social work education went in parallel with the evolution of the research in the field. Research in social work has been reflected in books and articles published in the last 30 years. This paper intends to make a review of the articles published in the last decade, analyzing a number of 496 articles published in the Social Work Review in the period 2010-2019.

CONSUMER INNOVATIVENESS OF THE ELDERLY. DO GENDER AND NATIONAL CULTURE MATTER? EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON THE CONSUMERS AT THE AGE OF 60 AND OVER IN CENTRAL EUROPE

Author(s): Sylwia Badowska / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

The study goal is to identify and compare the level of consumer innovativeness among the elderly and verify whether gender and national culture affect the elderly’s consumer innovativeness. To verify the research objective the surveys were carried out among the representatives of the elderly people participating in lectures at the selected Third Age Universities in Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Poland in the period of 2017–2018. To collect data the PAPI technique was employed and the smartphone as the object of the study was chosen. To obtain results, the domain specific innovativeness approach was applied and the modified domain specific innovativeness (DSI) scale was employed. The construct was measured on a five-point Likert scale. The outcomes suggest that the level of consumer innovativeness for the tested national samples is varied definitely. It is differentiated by gender, as well as by nationality understood also as national culture. It seems that among the surveyed populations in terms of the smartphone, the Polish consumers at the age of 60 and over seem to be the most innovative, then the Slovenians, and the Czechs. The findings will endow academics and practitioners with insight by illustrating the effects of national culture and innovativeness in consumer behaviour in terms of applying suitable activities for international marketing. They will also contribute to social and technological inclusion of the Central European elderly people into the digital world.

Türkiye’de Demografik Dönüşüm ve Yaşlı İşçiler

Author(s): Umut Ulukan / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 1/2020

Turkey has been facing the challenge of an population ageing due to low fertility and mortality rates in the recent years. However studies on ageing and ageing issues in Turkey, in particular in the social sciences literature, are limited. This study focuses on the increasing employment of elderly people with the aging of the population and the phenomenon of older workers in the labor markets. First current demographic transition process and population ageing charateristics in Turkey are discussed. Secondly the main features of elderly employment are analysed. Then fundamental changes of the elderly employment in Turkey –such as the working conditions of older workers, the sectoral distribution of elderly employment, gender inequality, poverty and social insecurity, occupational health issues- over the last decades are examined. Finally, this paper try to identify the main trends of the elderly employment which is expecting to increase in the coming years in Turkey.

Budownictwo senioralne szansą dla polskich przedsiębiorstw

Author(s): Teresa Słaby / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2018

The article presents selected results of research on the needs of 60+ people in Poland in the field of senior housing, the results of which may be a valuable source of information for Polish entrepreneurs, in particular from the construction industry. The author was a member of the team that carried out a quantitative and qualitative studies ordered by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction in 2017. Information about the needs and preferences of older people may enable entrepreneurs to act for broadly understood non-material goods and services in the housing market. Building investors at various levels of activity can implement solutions for facilities in already existing housing infrastructure to completely new projects. compatible with the needs and preferences of Polish seniors.

The future of long-term care in ten European countries: Review of policy reports and qualitative study among country experts

Author(s): Lena Praznovszky,Milena Pavlova,Marzena Tambor,Wim Groot / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2019

The provision of good quality long-term care to citizens represents a challenge for many European countries due to tight public budgets and ongoing societal transitions. To gain insights on the future of long-term care in Europe, an explorative study was conducted consisting of a review of policy reports and qualitative study among country experts from Albania, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. For the purpose of the analysis, a conceptual framework was developed. Based on this framework, the method of qualitative directed content analysis was applied to extract and analyze information from the reports and study transcripts. The results suggest four key directions for long-term care development: (a) integration, coordination and cooperation across structures and actors for better service quality; (b) increased scope and scale of formal service provision; (c) improved workforce planning and capacity building; (d) use of e-health and information technologies. The exact direction is however dependent on the country-specific guiding principles, governance capacity and funding constraints. To adequately respond to current challenges, policy-makers need to acknowledge the interconnectedness of long-term care issues and approach them from a more holistic perspective.

Długowieczność i zmiany maksymalnego trwania życia — wyzwania dla statystyki

Author(s): Wiktoria Wróblewska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 11/2012

The paper presents the changes that have taken place since the mid-nineteenth century to the maximum expected life expectancy and longevity in the world. In particular, there are discussed the limits of life achieved by the longest living people with proven longevity and the discussion that takes place in the literature on the prospects for further increases in life expectancy. On the example, of the “blue zone” author describes the state of knowledge in the field of behavioral causes of longevity. The summary highlights the challenges for the statistics resulting from change in life expectancy and longevity.

Druhý pilier starobného dôchodkového sporenia v Slovenskej republike a jeho výkonnosť v roku 2019

Author(s): Richard Geffert / Language(s): Slovak Issue: 2/2020

The issue of old-age pensions is a sensitive topic in every country and at any time, as it concerns one of the most vulnerable social groups, namely old-age pensioners. In every politically advanced and democratic rule of law there is a different model of the old-age pension system that is implemented in relation to its population. The aim of the paper is to identify efficiency II. pension pillar of old-age pension savings in the calendar year 2019 in the Slovak Republic.

ОДГОВОРОТ НА КОВИД-19 ВО РЕЗИДЕНЦИЈАЛНАТА ДОЛГОРОЧНА НЕГА ВО ПОЛСКА: ШТО Е НАПРАВЕНО ЗА ПОДОБРУВАЊЕ НА БЕЗБЕДНОСТА НА ПОСТАРИТЕ ЛИЦА

Author(s): Agnieszka Sowa-Kofta / Language(s): English,Macedonian Issue: 16/2020

Normativity and the Aging Self: “Active Longevity” Media Discourse in Contemporary Russia

Author(s): Aliia Nizamova / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2020

This article explores the normative understandings of older adults, old age, and aging as they are articulated in the mainstream media’s discourse on “successful aging” and “active longevity” in contemporary Russia. I draw on critical gerontological approach and critical discourse analysis to examine the articles published in 2016–2018 in one of the most popular Russian weekly newspapers, Argumenty i Fakty (Arguments and Facts), which actively engages in discussions of “activity,” “longevity,” and “success” in later life. This article traces the consumerist logic behind the “successful aging” discourse, which takes the notion of “success” as a matter of lifestyle that can be maintained through individual’s voluntary reflexive participation in consumerist practices and, thus, ignores the social-structural factors affecting this process. The aging subject is invited to engage with the “successful aging” ideal and express their “reflexive” self through the practices of “managing” health and longevity, appearance and embodiment, and manifestations of sexuality. However, this “successful” management suggests a correlation with the conventional perceptions of femininity, masculinity, and sexuality, subjectivity buttressed with neoliberal values, and familial life in which the aging subject must remain a resource for younger generations. This analysis indicates that such standards exclude those life trajectories that do not comply with the norms of the discourses on aging in an “active” and “successful” way.

Ageism in the Age of Pandemic

Author(s): Iris Jerončić Tomić,Rosanda Mulić / Language(s): English Issue: 18/2021

Elderly persons, in addition to their health needs, also have a need for being socially perceived as persons and for considering aging as a normal life process. Throughout history, older people have been considered a social problem, resulting in a negative attitude towards the old age group. Ageism is a term denoting discrimination of a group of people because of their old age. Discrimination occurs because of the belief that aging causes negative changes that make a person less attractive, less intelligent and, most importantly, less productive. During a pandemic, the society’s unethical actions towards this particularly vulnerabile group become evident. These include cruelties in the triage procedure in some EU countries, giving preference to those who have a better chance of survival, and the recurring impression among the younger populations that nothing significant has changed in their lives and that, accordingly, nothing should be changed in their habits and behaviour.

Müslüman Yaşlılarda Pandemi Sürecine İlişkin Ruhsal Etkilenimler ve Dini Düşünceler

Author(s): Nimet Ferah / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 55/2021

This study is about Muslim elders’ psychological impressions and religious/spiritual thoughts during the pandemic process. The religious/spiritual thoughts of the elderly who are in the high risk group in the pandemic is important in terms of pointing to their inner resources and in terms of making sense of their experiences and providing them in combating the pandemic, which has turned into a psychological process. The aim of the study is to bring these sources and bases to light in the dimension of religious thought. The data obtained in accordance with the qualitative research paradigm using the interview technique were analysed. Even though they had to face negative mental effects, it was concluded that the pandemic process was encountered with a kind of prosperity and maturity by Muslim elders, they approached this process with moderation, they got support from their beliefs and used them wisely. As a result, it is understood that Muslim elders have an existential and encompassing understanding based on their beliefs against the effects of the pandemic process, all of which are related to their ego integrity and maturity.

The Way of Life in one Belgrade’s Home for Elderly

Author(s): Slavica Komatina / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1-4/1993

This article summaries results of sociological research done in The home for Elderly, Voždovac commune in Belgrade. Demographic, cultural and socio-economic characteristics of residents of this home were analyzed. At the same time, their way of life was analyzed, as well as their opinions and attitudes towards their life in such an institution, as well as towards problems of the old age. Results of this research show that the projection of ola personness in The Home for Elderly in their basically needs such as accommodation and health protection. At the same time, individual approach arid socio-cultural aspect doesn’t exist. The increase of depression and inertia of old people in homes for the old ages is caused by paternalistic attitude towards the old people in such institutions.

MOTHERHOOD AND ELDERCARE PENALTIES. EVIDENCE FROM POLAND

Author(s): Dorota Witkowska,Krzysztof Kompa / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2020

Care providers face many constraints which limit their ability to compete on labor market. Therefore, they either give up their jobs, or limit their work time, or they look for a caregiver’s friendly job which usually assumes low wages. The negative effect of providing care on caregiver’s wages is called care penalty. In developed countries, with relatively high percentage of female employees and population aged 65 and above, governments formulate a social policy which is to help individuals and households providing care, and to keep labor force supply on a certain level. The solutions essentially differ among states. This study aims to find out the evidence of care penalty among Polish employees. Investigation is provided applying econometric analysis using the microdata originated from the Polish Labour Force Survey. The presented research proves that motherhood and eldercare penalties exist in Poland and mostly women are penalized. This is evidenced by the negative and significant impact of the variables describing the number of unemployed children and elderly persons on monthly salaries and working hours in the models estimated for female employees, and the insignificant influence of these variables in the models estimated for male employees.