In the article sense of community is analyzed in two very different types of neighborhoods in Ljubljana, Slovenia: a large housing estate and a middle class neighborhood of individual houses. The main research question posed is which individual characteristics are associated with sense of community in the two neighborhoods. A specific addition to current knowledge involves the inclusion of values as important characteristics associated with sense of community. In addition to quantitative analysis of survey results, qualitative data are used to illustrate the sense of community in the two neighborhoods.
COBISS.SI-ID: 30824029
Survey indicators of social networks usually measure a certain function of social networks, for example exchange of social support. Generally, two main hypotheses can be given with regard to the role social support plays in quality of life of individuals: that social support is beneficial as such (main effects), or that social support is beneficial at occasions of stressful events (buffer effect). In this paper we are dealing with survey measurement of ego-centered social support networks. Three methods to social network measurement are compared: the name generator method, the role generator method and the event-related approach. In a meta-analysis of several studies done on convenient quota samples the effects of method, type of calculation, response format and limitation of support providers on network composition indicators are studied.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31355485
The elderly are in many ways more vulnerable than other groups in society. To research the vulnerabilities of the elderly, this article works with the concept of social exclusion. It analyses social exclusion using a mixed-method model drawing on secondary quantitative data combined with in-depth interviews. The quantitative data were used to identify which areas of social exclusion particularly affect older people in Slovenia. The areas observed in the study were material deprivation, spatial exclusion, poor health and access to health care, housing exclusion and interpersonal exclusion, and the first three areas were identifi ed as the most problematic and widespread. The strategies the elderly use to cope with social exclusion were analysed using qualitative data and the grounded theory approach. In all areas various coping strategies were observed that indicate that the elderly are actively trying to improve their situation. It also seems that similar strategies are employed in different areas of social exclusion, the most important of them being strategies based on individualsʼ capacities and social networks.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31847517
The article examines the changes occurring in the welfare systems of post-socialist Central European countries, with a particular focus on Slovenia. First, an overview is given of wider debates about the transition and the transitional welfare reforms, highlighting the impact of distributive struggles on the course of the reforms. By summarising findings on the outcomes of major reforms in the region, it is shown how the long-term concerns about demographic ageing have been overshadowed by the current distributive struggles. This is most notably the case with the pension and long-term care systems. Long-term care is highlighted due to it lagging behindin the modernisation of services and introduction of insurance schemes to cover costs. It is argued that long-term care, as a policy domain, has beenspecifically strongly victimised by the transition; the system is not being allowed to respond to the newly emerged needs, with old-age care thus largely remaining locked within the private sphere, as a private matter subject to family support.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31519325
This article addresses the problems of one of the most vulnerable groups in society - older people. We examine the health risks facing older people in everyday life based on their own subjective perceptions. By analysing coping strategies, we discover diverse ways older people help themselves when faced with various risks. Methods: This paper is based on a study with a two-stage mixed method research design that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The initial quantitative survey data on the quota sample (N=558) is later expanded in the primary qualitative part employing a grounded theory approach with multi-stage coding procedures, analysing 35 semistructured in-depth interviews. Results: In older peopleʼs perceptions, health risks largely dominate. Health problems can highly endanger oneʼs quality of life, which is strongly represented by the category of independence. To better cope with health-threatening circumstances of everyday life, older people use various active and passive coping strategies, ranging from the use of technological aids to self-limitation and receiving social support. Discussion: The analysis of coping strategies represents a suitable approach for observing older people as active agents promoting their own well-being. On the basis of their individual coping strategies, we are able to indirectly assess which areas we could do more in for the autonomy and social inclusion of older people in our society.
COBISS.SI-ID: 31346269