Bianchi, G.,
Popper, M.: Interaction of substance use and risks to sexual health
in the Slovak Army: general, sociocultural, and individual behaviour
patterns. In: AIDS CARE, vol. 12, 2000, no. 6, p. 757-766.
This paper offers
an overview about the application of the newly designed WHO/UNAIDS Rapid
Assessment and Response Guide (SEX-RAR) for research on interaction
between psychoactive substance use and sexual risks in the very specific
environment during mandatory military service in the Slovak Republic.
Presented results outline general, specific (sociocultural) and individual
behaviour patterns concerning interaction of substance (alcohol) use and
sexual behaviour, as well as proposed recommendations for intervention
activities.
Bianchi, G.,
Popper, M.: Interaction of substance use and risks to sexual health
in the Slovak Army. In: Toward better practice: European partnership
in HIV/AIDS research, policy, prevention and care. Abstracts. 3rd European
conference on the methods and results of social and behavioural research
on AIDS. Amsterdam, RAI, 13-16 February, 2000. Amsterdam: AIDS Fonds,
2000, p. 207.
Objectives
In contrast to
previous studies on either substance use or sexual risks, the main
objective is to assess the INTERACTION between these two types of
behaviour. This includes identifying key features of the social, cultural
and structural context within the Slovak military settings, mapping of key
factors influencing sexual risk taking and substance use. Based on this
knowledge, appropriate interventions will be developed. Also, analysis of
the Rapid Assessment Methodology itself is addressed.
Methods
1. Identifying
key informants and conducting interviews with them. 2. Identifying typical
locations of military barracks according to various social environments 3.
Developing a quantitative questionnaire on substance use and sexual
behaviour. 4. A categorization of substance use – sexual risk
interaction patterns was created. 5. Developing of scripts for focus-group
discussions and individual in-depth interviews and conducting them (10 and
17, respectively).
Results
Ad 1.: There is a
low prevalence of STDs and no HIV+ diagnosis in the Army. Illegal drugs
use is officially low (22 cases in 1998: 16 cases of heroin, 6 cases of
soft drugs), unofficial reporting is significantly higher. Use of legal
drugs (alcohol, tobacco) is highly tolerated. Lectures on substance use
and sexual risks are perceived as formal and of low quality. Interventions
using active social-learning approaches are rare and depend on the
initiative of individual military professional. Ad 2.: Following social
environments were selected: capital of the country, a town with
women-employing industry, a town with university hostels, an isolated
small town with high unemployment and concentration of Roma population,
and a remote place. Ad. 3: The questionnaire was administered to
430 soldiers. Ad 4.: Five patterns of substance use -- sexual risk
interactions based on combinations of alcoholxcondom use were identified.
Ad 5: Results are presented in the paper by Popper and Bianchi (this
Conference).
Conclusions
The results of
this study support the supposition of interactive effects between
substance use (mainly alcohol) and risky sexual behaviour. Also, role of
the social context of life/changes introduced by the military service
itself seems to be the crucial determinant of behavioural changes relevant
to health. Main advantage of RAR in relation to the specific settings (military)
is its strong indirect preventive effect through the RAR process itself,
as well as with regard to the potential use of results ; main limitation
is the difficulty to ensure a repeated access to respondents if anonymity
has to be secured.
Relevance
The application
of RAR proves to be relevant mainly in very specific social and cultural
environments, such as military, prisons, etc. If used together with
broader basic research and representative surveys, RAR can contribute to a
comprehensive understanding of complex problems.
Bianchi, G., see
Miková, K., Bianchi, G.: Občania a verejné rozhodovanie
[Citizens and public decision-making] In: Barát, J. a spol. (Eds.): Čítanka
pre pokročilé neziskové organizácie. Bratislava: PDCS, 2000, p.
193-224.
Bianchi, G., see
Ondrisová, S., Bianchi, G.: Heterosexizmus: spoločensko-kultúrne
a psychologické aspekty postojov ku lesbickým ženám a gayom [Heterosexism
- social, cultural and psychological aspects of attitudes to lesbians and
gays]. In: Československá psychologie, 44, 2000, no. 2, p. 165-179.
Bianchi, G., see
Popper, M., Bianchi, G.: Substance use and sexual risk
behaviour patterns during military service in the Slovak army. In:
Toward better practice: European partnership in HIV/AIDS research, policy,
prevention and care. Abstracts. 3rd European conference on the methods and
results of social and behavioural research on AIDS. Amsterdam, RAI, 13-16
February, 2000. Amsterdam: AIDS Fonds, 2000, p. 206.
Bianchi, G., see
Popper, M., Supeková, M., Lukšík, I., Bianchi, G.: Kvalitatívna
analýza vzorcov rizikového sexuálneho správania na Slovensku [Qualitative
analysis of sexual risk behaviour patterns in Slovakia]. In: Oberta, R.,
Titurusová, O. (Ed.): Zvládanie psychickej záťaže a stresu.
Zborník príspevkov z Trenčianskych psychologických dní. MO SR,
Bratislava, 2000, p. 175-178.
Bianchi, G. see
Supeková, M., Bianchi, G.: Sexuálna výchova a spokojnosť
sexuálne aktívnejších mladých ľudí [Sex education and
satisfaction of sexually more active young people – a qualitative
approach]. In: Československá psychologie. Vol. 44, 2000, no. 1, p. 56
– 76.
Černík V.,
Viceník J., Višňovský E.: Praktické usudzovanie, konanie a
humanitná interpretácia [Practical reasoning, action and humanistic
interpretation]. Bratislava: IRIS, 2000, 267 p.
The book is about
the issues of practical reasoning and its role in explaining and
understanding of human action. These issues belong to the crucial
questions of the methodology of social sciences and the humanities. The
authors think that the explanation of social actions is not possible
without reconstruction and/or modelling of the process of practical
reasoning. The monograph describes how these issues developed in the
history of human thought, philosophy and methodology of social sciences,
in particular. However, the point is not the history of the issues of
practical reasoning but the characteristics of the key conceptions. The
authors concentrate on the thinkers who substantially contributed to the
understanding and development of the issue. They are Aristotle, D. Hume,
I. Kant, G.W.F. Hegel, K. Marx, J. Dewey, the representatives of
Anglo-American analytic philosophy and Polish Poznan philosophy following
the praxiology of T. Kotarbinski. In the last chapter the authors present
their own problem solving, which are intertwined with the whole historical
development of the given issue.
Gavora, P., Zápotočná,
O.: Unity and Diversity in Literacy Development. The Central
European Conference on Reading. Abstracts of Papers. Bratislava: SLJŠ
– SARČ, 2000.
The issue of
literacy is complex and multidimensional. It is today a problem widely
discussed among educationalist, school teachers and researchers. Reading
and writing are viewed from many different perspectives with the main
purpose - to teach children, young people and even adults to use them
naturally and efficiently as an obvious part of their everyday life.
Literacy is a key to culture, education, successful professional
development, social and economic status and power of every person in a
society. It is an inexhaustible source of joy and pleasure.
Functional
literacy is not a matter of course acquired just by the fact that children
are trained how to read and write. To become a literate person in the
truest sense of the word is a longlasting process of child's growing
competency to read the world of culture, to adapt to increasing demands of
today society, as well as, to contribute to it’s further development.
There are many
persons in child’s social environment entering this process -
parents, teachers on all the levels of education (from preschool and
elementary school to the university), librarians, authors, editors,
publishers, etc. They all can contribute efficiently to this growth, by
their own literacy, knowledge and experience. As an experienced literacy
mediators they all can be literacy experts as well.
The academic
researchers become increasingly aware that: sharing the expertise gained
from all these sources of knowledge and experience, bringing the literacy
experts from many different countries and cultures together, creating an
opportunity for them to discuss, communicate and learn together, is one of
the crucial points in building up new knowledge and making literacy highly
developed worldwide. This was also the main goal of the Central European
Conference on Reading, held in Bratislava - Slovakia, in July, 6.- 8.2000.
More than 180
participants from 27 East and West European countries, USA and Canada took
part in the conference. The conference agenda included 60 paper
presentations, 16 workshops and 5 invited papers in plenary sessions.
The contributions
published in the present Proceedings focused on the following main topics
of the conference:
- Early Childhood Literacy
Development and Primary Education
- Youth and Adults Literacy
Education
- In-Service Training of Reading
Teachers
- Libraries - Literacy Programs
- Research on Reading and
Literacy
- Literacy of Children with
Special Needs
- Bilingual Education and
Literacy
- Literacy, New Media and
Technology
As most of the
papers cover more than one of the above topics, there was some difficulty
to categorize them by this criteria. The papers are listed in alphabetical
order according to the first author's surname. All contributions submitted
on time in English were accepted. Included were also the papers of several
authors who regularly applied for the conference, but could not attend it
personally. The editors thank to all the contributors, speakers and
conference participatns for their excellent work and for the wondeful
atmosphere they created by their enthusiasm and interest.
Jariabková,
K.: Maladjustačné prejavy u adolescentov s mentálnym
postihnutím [Symptoms of maladjustment in adolescents with mental
handicap]. In: Ruiselová, Z. (Ed.): Adjustačné problémy,
charakteristiky zvládania a osobnosť adolescentov. Bratislava: ÚEPs
SAV, 2000, p. 25-32.
Symptoms of
maladjustment were studied in a sample of 15-year-old adolescents
with mental handicap and compared to the incidence of these symptoms in
their peers from normal population. Parents of adolescents with mental
handicap were interviewed using questions from the Magnusson and Dunér’s
symptom questionnaire focused on adjustment problems in relationships with
parents, teachers, and peers, on antisocial behaviour, and on emotional
and psychosomatic problems. The results revealed more problems with
establishing friendships in adolescents with mental handicap in comparison
to their peers from normal population. Adolescents with mental handicap
quarrel more often than their peers from normal population with their
mothers; nevertheless the trend is opposite in relation to their fathers.
The overall incidence of problems in interpersonal relationships is not
very frequent in adolescents with mental handicap. The incidence of
emotional and psychosomatic problems suggests more problems in normal
population adolescents. In adolescents with mental handicap symptoms like
nails biting and attention deficit problems are more frequent, prevalent.
The results are discussed in terms of the social environment and in
relation to cognitive deficits in adolescents with mental handicap.
Jariabková, K.:
Charakteristiky správania a osobnosti pri syndrómoch s mentálnou
retardáciou [Characteristics of behaviour and personality in mental
retardation syndromes]. In: Psychológia a patopsychológia dieťaťa. Vol.
35, 2000, no. 4, in press.
The article
brings the literature review on the characteristics of behaviours and
personality in genetic disorders of mental retardation. Characteristics of
cognitive profiles, behavioural characteristics, psychopathology and
personality characteristics and their developmental changes in Down
syndrome, fragile-X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Williams syndrome
are reviewed.
Jariabková,
K.: Laterality and dyslexia. In: Gavora, P., Zápotočná, O. (Eds.):
Unity and Diversity in Literacy Development. The Central European
Conference on Reading. Abstracts of papers. Bratislava: Slovak Reading
Association, 2000, p. 66.
The interest in
the relationship between laterality and dyslexia has persisted for several
decades. There have been many studies investigating the possible
association between dyslexia and different levels of laterality, but the
available evidence remains inconclusive in many respects. The findings on
behavioural asymmetries in some motor and perceptual laterality tasks in
dyslexic boys are presented.
Lukšík, I., see
Popper, M., Supeková, M., Lukšík, I., Bianchi, G.: Kvalitatívna
analýza vzorcov rizikového sexuálneho správania na Slovensku [Qualitative
analysis of sexual risk behaviour patterns in Slovakia]. In: Oberta, R.,
Titurusová, O. (Eds.): Zvládanie psychickej záťaže a stresu.
Zborník príspevkov z Trenčianskych psychologických dní. MO SR,
Bratislava, 2000, p. 175-178.
Marková, I.,
Moodie, E., Plichtová, J.: Democracy as a social representation.
In: Chaib, M., Orfali, B. (Eds.): Social Representation. Jö nkoping: Jö
nkoping University Press, 1999, p. 155-175.
The chapter in
the monograph describes social representations of democracy in Scotland
and in Slovakia in the post-communist era. The first part of the study is
based on the content analyses of free associations to the term
”democracy” which were given on the three occasions (1992,
1994 and 1996) by 200 Slovaks and 200 Scots. The respondents were asked to
note down the first word that came into their minds when they were
presented with the word ”democracy”.
The second part
of the study is based on the research carried out in 1996 and it again
involved 200 Scots and 200 Slovaks. Their task was to rate the extent to
which each of 35 political and economic terms would help them to explain
the meaning of democracy on a four-point scale.
The third part of
is based on the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, which
were carried out in Scotland and Slovakia in 1996. Forty-eight respondents
from both countries were interviewed on the issues related to democracy,
political participation, etc. The findings are discussed in terms of
cultural and socio-political contexts in which social representations of
democracy were formed. The authors concluded that theory of social
representations provides the most suitable conceptual framework for the
study of democracy from the perspective of social psychology.
Marková, I.,
Moodie, E., Farr, R. M., Drozda-Senkowska, E., Erö s, F., Plichtová, J.:
Reprezentarile sociale ale “Comunitatii” in perioda
postcomunista. In: Neculau, A., Ferréol, G. (Eds.): Psihosiologia
schimbarii. Bucuresti: Polirom, 1998, p. 178-189.
The chapter
examines meanings of the term ”community” and ”local
community” in three West European countries (England, Scotland,
France) and three Central European countries (Slovakia, Czech republic,
Hungary) on the base of 1200 protocols. Respondents (N=200 in each
country) were presented with a word association task which included 38
political and economic terms and with two scales containing the same list
of terms. They rated these terms with respect to their importance for the
well-being of the individual and to the well-being of the community. The
results suggest that the meaning of the community degraded in the
countries of both Western and Central Europe. The communist regime
destroyed the confidence within local communities.
Miková, K.,
Bianchi, G.: Občania a verejné rozhodovanie [Citizens and
public decision-making]. In: Barát, J. a spol. (Eds.): Čítanka pre
pokročilé neziskové organizácie. Bratislava: PDCS, 2000, p. 193-224.
This part of the
book addressing professionals working in NGOs as well as those working in
public administration and motivated laymen, analyses the problems
associated with the citizens´ participation in decision-making about
public issues. The following questions are discussed: who are the
participants in the processes taking place in civic society, what are
their relations in view of the power they have, what can be the attitudes
of the citizens to public matters, how the motivation of the citizens for
active participation arises and how can it be influenced, and, finally,
what are the forms and techniques of civic participation. The text offers
the necessary theoretical basic principles of relevant concepts as well as
practical examples and exercises. The list of the latest literature is
included.
Ondrisová,
S., Bianchi, G.: Heterosexizmus: spoločensko-kultúrne a psychologické
aspekty postojov ku lesbickým ženám a gayom [Heterosexism -
social, scultural and psychological aspects of attitudes to lesbians and
gays]. In: Československá psychologie, 44, 2000, no. 2, p. 165-179.
As the
homosexuality was removed out of the manual of mental diseases, the
interest of researches has focused mostly on the dynamics of majority
– minority’s relationship and its influence on lesbians and
gays.
The authors
explain the concept of heterosexism and outline present situation of the
institutional heterosexism in Slovakia. They also discuss mutual
connections between attitudes toward gay men, lesbian women and cultural
ideologies – ideology of sexuality and ideology of gender.
In the second
part of the paper the authors focus on the individual manifestations of
heterosexism, on correlates of the homophobic attitudes, and also present
functional approach to attitudes toward lesbian and gays. Finally, some of
the consequences of the antigay climate for heterosexuals, lesbian women
and gay men are pointed out.
Plichtová,
J., see Marková, I., Moodie, E., Plichtová, J.: Democracy
as a social representation. In: Chaib, M., Orfali, B. (Eds.): Social
Representation. Jö nkoping: Jö nkoping University Press, 1999, p.
155-175.
Plichtová,
J., see Marková, I., Moodie, E., Farr, R. M., Drozda-Senkowska,
E., Erö s, F., Plichtová, J.: Reprezentarile sociale ale
“Comunitatii” in perioda postcomunista. In: Neculau, A.,
Ferréol, G. (Eds.): Psihosiologia schimbarii. Bucuresti: Polirom, 1998,
p. 178-189.
Popper, M.,
Bianchi, G.: Substance use and sexual risk behaviour patterns
during military service in the Slovak army. In: Toward better practice:
European partnership in HIV/AIDS research, policy, prevention and care.
Abstracts. 3rd European conference on the methods and results of social
and behavioural research on AIDS. Amsterdam, RAI, 13-16 February, 2000.
Amsterdam: AIDS Fonds, 2000, p. 206.
Objectives
To see whether
substance use previous to sexual encounters is related to risky sexual
behaviour, and to explore whether the obligatory one-year army service for
Slovak males leads to some changes in their patterns of substance use.
Included features were: kinds of substances, types of sexual partnership
and use of condoms. Additional characteristics were: risk perception for
HIV, STD’s and unplanned pregnancy as well as attitudes towards
condoms.
Methods
In the first
phase data collection in three typical army settings: capital, cities and
rural areas by questionnaires (432 male respondents) and in the second
phase 10 focus group discussions (70 male respondents) and 17
individual interviews (male respondents) in the same army settings.
Results
The results from
questionnaires shows that people who behave more risky in army setting
concerning casual partners and condom non-use behaved more risky also
before. The same is true for consumption of alcohol (77.5% and 78.7%
people respectively). However focus group discussions revealed specific
patterns of substance use and sexual behaviour during military service.
Soldiers express that army setting leads to more consumption of alcohol as
compared to before. As a main reasons they indicate frustration by: very
strict relations with their commanders, very few possibilities to go home,
a lack of possibilities to spend their free time except from visiting pubs.
The last two of them leads also to disappointment in sexual life, e.g.
almost no possibilities to be together with steady sexual partners if they
have some. Thus they predominantly meet females in local pubs. After
drinking some alcohol together soldiers obviously attempt to have casual
sex with them. Soldiers report alcohol increases one’s courage and
decreases responsibility. Therefore, the majority of casual sexual
encounters are done without any protection at all.
Conclusions
The results
indicate the necessity to apply targeted health strategies and
interventions in army settings at two levels: (1) Within Army: to
establish regular possibilities for soldiers to leave the barracks for
home during weekends, and to cooperate more closely with local governments
in organising common cultural and sport activities, (B): introduce to the
Army on: workshops with Army commanders to create better relationships
with their soldiers, prevention programmes for soldiers to acquire and/or
improve patterns of less risky sexual behaviour (e.g. condom use,
negotiating, values of long-lasting sexual relationship).
Relevance
Incorporation of
proposed health strategies and interventions for males during their
military service may be useful also in other countries on a similar stage
of rapid social change (mainly CEE).
Popper, M.,
Supeková, M., Lukšík, I., Bianchi, G.: Kvalitatívna analýza
vzorcov rizikového sexuálneho správania na Slovensku [Qualitative
analysis of sexual risk behaviour patterns in Slovakia]. In: Oberta, R.,
Titurusová, O. (Eds.): Zvládanie psychickej záťaže a stresu.
Zborník príspevkov z Trenčianskych psychologických dní. MO SR,
Bratislava, 2000, p. 175-178.
Based on our
previous research we have discovered that risky sexual behaviour has its
roots at least in one of the following four areas: (1) very poor social
and emotional quality of the family background of an individual during his/her
childhood, (2) disappointment after breaking up with a "great"
love (3) explicit or implicit pressure among peers to have sexual
intercourse, (4) considering serial monogamy as acceptable and low-risk
life style. As analysis of in-depth individual interviews (N = 15 males
plus 15 females) based on the Protocol for comparative qualitative studies
on sexual conduct and HIV risks pointed out the influence of implicit
pressure was definitely the most frequently identified one (also in
comparison with UK and NL sample). Therefore we focused on its patterns in
more detail.
Patterns of
implicit pressure accompained with quotations:
(A) longing to be
equal to others/tendency to gain status in society
Erik (M): "each
boy had already a girlfriend and me not yet ... in this time I considered
that perhaps it would be good to start with sexual intercourse ... because
all my schoolmates have already blown their own trumpet ... and I did not
want fall behind."
(B) curiosity,
desire to experience sex
Norbert (M):
"In a genuine boy company we have chat if someone had some sexual
experience ... Above emotional aspects nearly never, everybody was a hero,
nobody felt in love, each was about the issue."
(C) enhancement
of self-worth, self-esteem
Simona (F):
"I thought that it is already the time, all other girls already had
boys and God knows what they did together and me - still nothing, so when
somebody finally expressed his interest, than I was satisfied."
Importance of the
implicit pressure will be better understood in the following frame of
broader sexual development of respondents:
* During
childhood between the ages of 0-12 years sexual issues were very rarely
talked about at home and if at all, then very superficially.
* Except teaching
anatomy in biology lessons, the participants did not get any sexual
education at primary and secondary schools.
* In peer groups,
risks of STDs and HIV and prevention against them were not discussed
almost at all.
* During first
sexual intercourse the contraception (condom) was used by 9 respondents,
mainly because of protecting from unwanted pregnancy.
* The first
sexual intercourse of one half of the respondents was casual.
These results
belong to many other arguments for having regular sexual education at
schools as well as for introducing sex education at the paedagogical
faculties to prepare future teachers to teach such a subject. They also
stress the usefulness of preventive programmes outside the school.
Popper, M., see
Bianchi, G., Popper, M.: Interaction of substance use and risks
to sexual health in the Slovak Army: general, sociocultural, and
individual behaviour patterns. In: AIDS CARE, vol. 12, 2000, no. 6, p.
757-766.
Popper, M. see
Bianchi, G., Popper, M.: Interaction of substance use and risks to
sexual health in the Slovak Army. In: Toward better practice: European
partnership in HIV/AIDS research, policy, prevention and care. Abstracts.
3rd European conference on the methods and results of social and
behavioural research on AIDS. Amsterdam, RAI, 13-16 February, 2000.
Amsterdam: AIDS Fonds, 2000, p. 207.
Rosová, V.:
Perspektíva pre trvalo udržateľný turizmus na Slovensku (Future Prospects
for sustainable tourism in Slovakia). In: Životné prostredie. Vol. 34,
2000, no.1, p. 49-50.
This paper
informs on the initiative of several European countries (Spain, Portugal,
Germany) to work out a joint project of the activities which would shape
conditions for the development of tourism in accord with the principles of
sustainable development (support of the settlements preservation,
preservation of the original architecture, crafts, etc.) as well as help
to improve the level of environmental awareness of the population and
visitors in biosphere reserves. These aims of the project can serve as a
motivation for many subjects in Slovakia.
Rosová, V.:
Biosphere reserves: Model territories for sustainable development.
In: M.Varšavová, P.Barančok (Eds.): Protected Areas and Landscape
Ecological Research. Abstracts. The 12th International
Symposium on Problems of Landscape Ecological Research. Stará Lesná,
November 2000. Bratislava: UKE SAV, November 2000, p.21.
The idea of
sustainable development as a theoretical framework for the analysis
of interactions between society, economy, and nature shows remarkable
parallels with the intergovernmental UNESCO programme ”Man and
Biosphere”.
The scientific
programme which has been carried out from the beginning of the 1970s
represents one of the most important institutional frames for the analysis
of man-made and modified ecosystems (e.g. used in agriculture,
urban-industrial ecosystems). A model of the regional system man
– environment can then be the result of the analyses.
Pilot studies
carried out in the territories of four biosphere reserves (CHKO-BR Poľana,
CHKO- BR Slovenský kras, BR Tatry a BR Východné Karpaty)
contributed to an increase of the portion of socio-scientific analyses and
to the spread of the knowledge of the variables, intervening in the
relation of the people to the environment.
Our contribution
brings not only a summary of the existing knowledge of the quality,
extent, and frequency of information, of the attitudes of the inhabitants
to the issue of environmental protection, evaluation of their aims in the
economic activities within the framework of the sustainable development,
but also some other relevant variables (demographic characteristics,
employment, marginality of the territory, tourism). Future trends in
research activities are indicated.
Rosová, V.:
Biosphere Reserves: Model Territories For Sustainable Development.
Ekologia/Supplement 2000, in press.
The idea of
sustainable development as a theoretical framework for the analysis
of interactions between society, economy, and nature shows remarkable
parallels with the intergovernmental UNESCO programme ”Man and
Biosphere”.
The scientific
programme which has been carried out from the beginning of the 1970s
represents one of the most important institutional frames for the analysis
of man-made and modified ecosystems (e.g. used in agriculture,
urban-industrial ecosystems). A model of the regional system man
– environment can then be the result of the analyses.
Pilot studies
carried out in the territories of four biosphere reserves (CHKO-BR Poľana,
CHKO- BR Slovenský kras, BR Tatry a BR Východné Karpaty)
contributed to an increase of the portion of socio-scientific analyses and
to the spread of the knowledge of the variables, intervening in the
relation of the people to the environment.
Our contribution
brings not only a summary of the existing knowledge of the quality,
extent, and frequency of information, of the attitudes of the inhabitants
to the issue of environmental protection, evaluation of their aims in the
economic activities within the framework of the sustainable development,
but also some other relevant variables will be presented (demographic
characteristics, employment, marginality of the territory, tourism).
Future trends in research activities are indicated.
Supeková, M.:
Sex education and the values in Slovakia. In: Toward better
practice: European partnership in HIV/AIDS research, policy, prevention
and care. Abstracts. 3rd European conference on the methods and results of
social and behavioural research on AIDS. Amsterdam, RAI, 13-16 February,
2000. Amsterdam: AIDS Fonds, 2000, p. 180.
To provide an
outlook on the value background that is determining in the current
government policy on HIV prevention, sex education in schools and the
activities of nongovernmental organizations. Particular representatives
who influence the government policy of prevention, have direct impact on
its implementation and on the trends in creating the curricula of
contemporary sex education. On this basis we dealt with (1) the evaluation
of the effectiveness of government policy prevention, its potential
weaknesses, (2) we pondered on the possible consequences and (3)
considered the possibilities of the prevention activities in the public
sector and NGOs in the future. Main question: What is the ideological and
value orientation of government policy in Slovakia that influences the
activities in HIV/AIDS prevention in public sector? What is the spirit of
sex education in primary and secondary schools including HIV/AIDS
prevention? What is the basis value orientation of NGOs in prevention? In
the analysis of the essential messages in HIV/AIDS prevention we used: (1)
current curricula of sex education for primary and secondary schools, (2)
conception of prevention activities of NGOs, (3) interview with the public
sector authorities (Ministry of Education), and (4) with the
representatives of NGOs.
Supeková, M.,
Bianchi, G.: Sexuálna výchova a spokojnosť sexuálne aktívnejších
mladých ľudí [Sex education and satisfaction of sexually more
active young people – a qualitative approach]. In: Československá
psychologie. Vol. 44, 2000, no. 1, p. 56 – 76.
The study is a qualitative
probe into the sexual health issues. Focus is on the concepts of sexual
satisfaction and riskness of sexual behaviour abainst the background of
sexual and behavioural influences and messages about sexuality. In-depth
interview about the sexual career was conducted for a sample of 30
young people (15 men and 15 women, age between 18-32, covering the priod
from the respondent´s early childhood to the present) whose sexual
behaviour is more risky than of the rest of population. Content analysis
of the interviews confirmed the first research thesis that messages about
sexuality and the style of sexual education are reflected in the vision of
sexual satisfaction and affect particular sexual behaviour. The
significance of the personal meaning of sex came to the fore beyond the
frame of theoretical expectations. This personal meaning of sex strongly
interacts with sexual behaviour and sexual satisfaction of the respondents.
The second research thesis about the reverse proportion on the relation
between sexual satisfaction and measure of the riskness of sexual
behaviour was confirmed only partially: sexual dissatisfaction increases
the riskness of sexual behaviour in persons from whom personal meaning of
sex is bound to self-confirmation and personal succes and thus to gainging
new partners and new experiences. But sexual dissatisfaction does not
affect the riskness of the persons who see the personal meaning of sex in
the intimateness and partnership. Particular characteristic courses of
sexual careers are documented by case studies.
Supeková, M. see
Popper, M., Supeková, M., Lukšík, I., Bianchi, G.: Kvalitatívna
analýza vzorcov rizikového sexuálneho správania na Slovensku [Qualitative
analysis of sexual risk behaviour patterns in Slovakia]. In: Oberta, R.,
Titurusová, O. (Eds.): Zvládanie psychickej záťaže a stresu.
Zborník príspevkov z Trenčianskych psychologických dní. MO SR,
Bratislava, 2000, p. 175-178.
Šulavík, J.:
Explanačný význam pojmu ”Implicitná filozofia” [The
explanatory meaning of the concept of ”implicit philosophy”].
In: Filozofia. Vol. 55, 2000, no. 6, p. 494-501.
The paper
examines the concept of ”implicit philosophy” as used in the
integrated psychotherapy, making clear its content as a ”potential
philosophy”. The author sees its meaning as opposite to the meaning
of ”explicit philosophy”. To use the relationship between
implicit and explicit philosophy in an explanation involves a binary
conception of philosophy in its narrow and broader senses. The author
shows, how the philosophy critically explains certain primal spontaneous
generalizations in order to offer ”secondary reimplications”
of new philosophical attitudes. The philosophical work is thus the middle
stage of the whole process of proceeding from primary to secondary
implicit philosophy. The concept of ”implicit philosophy” can
be applied also beyond the psychotherapy – e.g. in social philosophy
or in the philosophy of science.
Šulavík, J.:
Metafilozofické implikácie psychoterapie [Metaphilosophical
implications of psychotherapy]. Bratislava: AKA, 2000.
The monograph
analyses the relation between philosophy and psychotherapy, its
theoretical and practical aspects. It is based on the fact that
psychotherapy is a field richly saturated with philosophy, providing
a “mirror” to philosophical self-reflection and experiences
suitable for generalisation. In the past, Slovak philosophy paid almost no
attention to this topic. The formulation of the issue of the relation
between philosophy and psychotherapy itself was felt as unwanted
“psychologisation” of philosophy.
The author sees
psychological and sociological aspects of philosophy as equal,
representing merely two different sides of the same matter. The author
tried to describe the explicit and implicit forms of the presence of
philosophy in psychotherapy not only in the creation of psychotherapeutic
theory (theoretical aspect), but also within the framework of the
therapeutical process (practical aspect). The analysis of the presence of
philosophy in psychotherapy enabled him to draw some metaphilosophical
conclusions, which are of value also beyond psychotherapy. The book
defines the so-called binary concept of philosophy and its practical
meaning. Its basic aim is thus to enrich the understanding of philosophy
itself.
Višňovský,
E.: Atonalita našej doby, disonancie nášho sveta. In: Rok
2000: úzkosti a nádeje [Atonality of our times, dissonance of our world].
In: E. Farkašová (Ed.): Rok 2000: úzkosti a nádeje. Antológia
pôvodných esejí. Bratislava: Vydavateľstvo spolku slovenských
spisovateľov, 2000, p. 149-165.
The present day
really appears to be a consequence of many processes which had been
launched at least in the period of the enlightenment. Some projects of
modernism even as if were past their zenith, or, simply ”beyond us”
and we live ”in the period of nobody”. The feeling of the end
overlaps the feeling of the beginning not only in terms of the time and we
are not able to imagine how and which way should many matters go. It is
not easy to cope with the disenchantment with modern design for better
worlds, or with the fact that its result are irreversible realities with
no way out. In spite of that, we hardly are – at least in our
geometrical coordinates – in the postmodern situation as described
by F. Lyotard and his followers, if the prefix ”post”, should
be understood as a sort of full-meaning ”after” or
”over” or even ”anti”. We are still rather in a
snare of modernism, its top phase, maybe the final phase, in which we have
entangled ourselves more and more, particularly in the last decades and
nobody knows what will be the end. Harmony is what our world misses
probably most… It is not surprising if one asks ”how long will
it hold on yet?”, another one would be most pleased to change it for
the new one.
Višňovský,
E.: Pragmatizmus ako ontologický realizmus a filozofická antropológia
[Pragmatism as ontological realism and philosophical anthropology]. In:
Filozofia. Vol. 55, 2000, no. 6, p. 502-506.
Pragmatism today
(neopragmatism) is not a purely American matter any more. The works of the
young Finnish philosopher S. Philstrom can serve as evidence. Philstrom
focuses on the probably most difficult, fundamental questions of
traditional philosophy – ontology and anthropology – which he
does not want to leave in the style of Rorty’s postmodernism but he
tries to adapt them by means of the Jamesian version of classical
pragmatism together with contemporary Putnam‘s realism. The
pluralistic spirit of pragmatism which tolerates various perspectives, is
not identical with relativism, subjectivism, and solipsism and does not
liquidate the concept of human subject. According to Philstrom, we need
this concept to be able to solve the question of the sense (or nonsense)
of our life. Pragmatism is philosophy which wants to help us live in spite
of the fragility and uncertainty of our existence; it is a sort of the
mean road between religious foundationalism and metaphysical optimism on
the one hand and nihilistic pessimism on the other hand. Philstrom
understands pragmatism as a very broad philosophical current requiring in
every philosophical or theoretical act to take account of human praxis and
our human aspirations.
Višňovský,
E.: O súčasnom neopragmatizme [On contemporary neopragmatism].
In: Filozofia. Vol. 55, 2000, no. 10, p. 777-787.
The author
provides an outline of the contemporary pragmatist scene as it has emerged
in American philosophy. He points to the continuity and common features
between the classic and recent pragmatisms of which the most crucial are
antifoundationalism and antirepresentationalism. According to his analysis
he distinguishes two main currents of neopragmatist philosophy: 1.
post-analytic (Rortyan), and 2. neo-classic (neo-Peirceian, neo-Jamesian
and neo-Deweyan) lines. Finally he focuses on some characteristics of the
Rortyan post-analytic neopragmatism as expressed in his latest book Philosophy
and Social Hope (1999).
Višňovský,
E.: Skúsenosť a vita activa podľa J. Deweyho (1859-1952)
[Experience and vita activa – The Case of John Dewey
(1859-1952)]. In: Čornaničová, R. (Ed.): Obohacovanie života starších
ľudí edukačnými aktivitami. Bratislava: Národné osvetové centrum,
2000, p. 56-61.
The paper gives a
sketch of the philosophy and life of one of the greatest 20th
century philosophers, american ”philosopher of democracy” and
educator – John Dewey. His life spanned over nine decades but what
is more remarkable is that he can be regarded as the example of vita
activa or active life until his last days. He had written his best
works when he was approaching his sixties and seventies, or even later:
Democracy and Education (1916), Experience and Nature (1925), The Quest
for Certainty (1930), Art as Experience (1934), etc. There must have been
the connection between his life and his philosophy. It was formed by his credo
that philosophy has to deal not with its own problems but with the
problems of men and women.
Višňovský,
E, see Černík, V., Viceník, J., Višňovský, E.: Praktické
usudzovanie, konanie a humanitná interpretácia [Practical reasoning,
action and humanistic interpretation]. Bratislava: IRIS, 2000, 267 p.
Zápotočná,
O., Hošková, Ľ.: Možnosti stimulácie gramotnosti detí predškolského
veku [The possibilities of early literacy development in preschool age
children]. Slovenský jazyk a literatúra v škole. Vol. 47,
2000, no. 3-4, p. 71-85.
The possibilities
of early literacy development in preschool age children are considered.
The results of the research studies on early writings and reading
behaviour of children from two different educational settings are
presented. The analysis has shown the higher rate of more advanced
reading-writing strategies among children from kindergarten with the Early
Literacy Support Programme as the most important part of the
curriculum. On the other hand, the comparison of similar data obtained
from elementary school children resulted in a lower performance of
1st grade students in several writing tasks. The above findings confirm
considerable literacy potential of preschool age children when surrounded
by highly stimulating literacy environment. The continuity of formal
reading-writing instruction at the beginning of school entry is discussed.
Zápotočná,
O., see Gavora, P., Zápotočná, O.: Unity and Diversity in
Literacy Development. The Central European Conference on Reading.
Abstracts of Papers. Bratislava: SLJŠ – SARČ, 20.
