Coping Strategies of the Elderly. Mental Health Intervention Among Old People, Who Live Alone

This study provides insight into the intervention results of my dissertation. The main topic of the dissertation is the mental health care for older people, especially in coping and in maintaining their mental health. Right at the start, I briefly present the literature review of the topic: I write about the concept of mental hygiene, aspects of successful aging, coping strategies, tasks of the old age and the role of a mental health professional in their life. In the intervention section, I shortly summarize the conversations with three elderly people, in the end I describe the results, my own experiences, opinion and draw conclusions. Keywords: old age, coping, resources, life story work, mental health care

Professional Challenges of the Past 30 Years of Social Work in Romania (1990-2020). Interview with Social Workers(1990-2020). Interview with Social Workers

In the following interview, social workers talk about what this profession means to them and what challenges they have encountered, meet in everyday life. Their responses provide insight into the events of the past 30 years of social work. Keywords: professional challenges of social work, social wellfare system, progresses and deficit areas

Civic Participation and Citizen Ideals of High School Students from Transylvania

Citizenship and civic participation are spatially and temporally changing concepts, therefore, their research remains constantly relevant. The question of how 17–18-year-old pupils see their “place” in society and their role in political processes, is of high importance, as they are the future voters. The main objective of the paper is to find out the kinds of categories that can be distinguished in terms of civic participation among the youth on the threshold of adulthood and what are the specificities of these categories. Furthermore, I try to identify the dimensions along which young people interpret the concept of “citizen” and what are the qualities that they consider important to acknowledge someone as a “good citizen”. In this section, my aim is to highlight the influencing factors and their strengths. The results show that four types of pupils are distinguished in terms of participation: those who “accumulate” activities, the “traditionals”, the protesters, and the passive ones. At the same time, based on the responses, one can see that the characteristics of an ideal citizen are organized into three factors: orientation and activity, social, and responsibility. Their activities and ideas are greatly influenced by the environment and the behavioral patterns they encounter and follow. The study presents the results of a survey based on questionnaire, which is representative of the Hungarian 11th and 12th grade pupils of eight large cities in Transylvania. Keywords: civic participation, ideal citizen, youth

“Typical” Migrant Biographies from Sfântu Gheorghe/Sepsiszentgyörgy

The analysis on youth migration was developed in the framework of “YOUMIG – Improving institutional capacities and fostering cooperation to tackle the impacts of transnational youth migration” project. The present paper offers a picture about the “typical” biographies of young migrants. In the municipality of Sfântu Gheorghe emigration is the most important migratory trend. Among emigrants one can identify short term migrants – this type is distinctive of Roma migrants, too; long term migrants, most of them aiming to earn a living through their labour migration; while a smaller group studies and works abroad at the same time. There are also return migrants but it is hard to estimate their proportions. During our research both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The present paper is based on interviews conducted with young migrants. The present study starts with a short summary of the theoretical approaches applied during the analysis, followed by the methodology and a detailed characterization of the interviewees. The chapter presenting the local context concentrates on the demographic and economic indicators of the place of the fieldwork, then a short analysis is provided about the push and pull factors of the town based on the interviews. In order to achieve a detailed analysis three biographies were selected. Firstly, the milestones of their lives will be compared, followed by the analysis of their identitites and of their feelings toward the sending and emigrant (diaspora) communities. Secondly, their migration types and narrative strategies will be identified. Finally, the conclusions will highlight the similarities and differences revealed in the selected biographies. Keywords: migration, youth, biographies, narratives

Silver Economy in Romania. Érmellék Case Study

After the regime change in Romania significant changes in the structure of the population can also be observed, one aspect of which is aging. Our research examines the Romanian aspects of the silver economy on the example of Érmellék micro region. The studied North Bihor area is a disadvantaged micro-region where the social and economic changes of the last 30 years have not brought an easier life. These social changes can be seen in ethnic change, aging, the feminization of aging, and low educational attainment. According to economic indicators, people living here are characterized by low income and commuting lifestyle for working purposes. Accession to the European Union is mostly reflected in the increase in the number of border crossings points and cross-border labor force migration in this region. Thus, our research concerns the examination of the situation of the aging and elderly generation in Érmellék along the measures and services of the silver economy. After defining the concept of the silver economy and presenting the dimensions of the Active Aging Index, an analysis of the empirical data follows. Our study interprets the silver economy as a set of economic opportunities that address both the public and consumer expenditures associated with an aging population and the specific needs of the population over 50 years. During the data processing, through qualitative approach of the elderly population quality of life, we sought the answer to the question of the extent to which the silver economy, or some of its dimensions, can be accessed in Érmellék. In our study, we integrated the analysis of information from focus group interviews, professional and in-depth interviews in the framework of the exploratory research into the dimensions provided by the Active Aging Index. Along with the applied analytical logic, the presentation of the individual dimensions was supplemented with the processing of qualitative empirical material in addition to the secondary data, so we could get to know the conditions of active aging in Érmellék and the possibilities of the regional silver economy. Keywords: silver economy, active aging, quality of life of the elderly, social care, employment of the elderly, social participation of the elderly

Development of the Child Protection System in Romania

The child protection system has been undergoing a continuous transformation since 1989. After the change of regime, orphanages were gradually abolished, and children’s homes and family-type houses were established instead. The study seeks to outline the change in attitude that has developed in the care of children growing up in families without children in Romania over the past 30 years. Three main periods of the decentralization process are distinguished, along which I also presented the last 30 years of the child protection system. The transformation of the Romanian child protection system has also had to deal with a number of obstacles, but its legal regulations are in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as it focuses on new principles such as person-centeredness, child and family participation and community involvement. However, there is still a large gap between theory and implementation. A government decree stipulates that by the end of 2020, all child protection centers should be dismantled and priority should be given to placement with relatives, adoption or a foster care program. It also obliges the institutions of the child protection system to help young people who leave the system to find housing and jobs. Getting out of the system, leaving the child protection system, is also a big challenge for all participants. A young adult who is successfully integrated into society can be one of the most authentic confirmations of a well-functioning system, which can even serve as a guide for further interventions and transformations. Keywords: child protection system, change, challenge

Theoretical and Practical Issues of Innovation Research: Social Innovation in Hungary

In recent decades, innovation research has played an important role in exploring the drivers of local and regional economic development. Nowadays, it is part of the generally accepted scientific canon that various forms of innovation (technological, business and social innovation) play a defining role in the economic development and competitiveness of cities, regions and countries. The context above points out that innovation is an important factor in the spatiality of society, but at the same time geography, more precisely geographical distance or proximity, is a determining element of innovation. In the present study, we provide an overview of the latest theoretical and empirical research developments in the “geography of innovation”, more precisely in the “geography of social innovation”, with application in Hungary. Keywords: social innovation, social innovation geography, regional development, geographical proximity

Conflict Management in the Non-profit Sphere. Mapping the Conflict Management Practices of an Organization Providing Social Services

The present study, which focuses on conflict analysis and management, examines the causes and types of major conflicts in social service organizations through semi-structured interviews. Through in-depth interviews with ten employees at a Romanian nonprofit organization’s headquarters and by consulting on studies of key challenges of Romanian NGOs, I sought to find answers to how workplace conflicts affect nonprofits, how employees handle disagreements, and what types of conflicts are most common among employees of civil society organizations. In-depth interviews were conducted with four executives, two coordinators, and four members of the executive teams within the organization. Based on these interviews, it was revealed that the roots of the conflicts lie in the overload of bureaucratic tasks in the human resource department, the lack of motivation in the workplace and the lack of transparency of institutional decisions. These problems are most likely caused by the lack of resources in non-profit organizations in Romania. At the same time, despite the uncertainty, financial burden and bureaucracy related to the implementation of funding projects, the activities affecting the target groups are successful and based on the feedback of the employees, the reactions of the target groups are a great motivating force. Keywords: conflict, human resources, decision-making, performance, consequences, employee perspective

Health Services and Causes of Death in Transylvania, Romania

The study briefly presents the major changes that have taken place in the Romanian health care system in recent decades, as well as the strategies and legislative reforms that shaped these transformations. We examine time series data with primary relevance for the public health situation in the country. First, we compare national data with those from the other EU countries, then – with a special focus on Transylvania – we will highlight the regional differences within the country. Keywords: health services, healthcare reforms, regional disparities, causes of death, Transylvania – Romania

The Impact of the Covid–19 Pandemic on the Health Behavior of Hungarian Social Worker Students from TransylvaniaTransylvania

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it necessary to focus on health care. In our study, we discuss how the curfew has affected the mental health, health status and health behavior of a group of Hungarian social worker students from Transylvania. We are looking at what they have done to protect their health, what protective factors have allowed them to remain resilient, and maintain their good mental and physical health. We point out the values and ways that enabled them to handle the situation. Our goal was to draw attention to the fact that crisis situations can be dealt with awareness, conscious use of techniques and purposeful allocation of resources. Keywords: pandemic, crisis, resilience, protective factors, health behavior