December's "Sociumas"

In December's issue of "Sociumas"

The 25^th of December is one of the most important days of the year for many people around the world - the birth of Baby Jesus is symbolically celebrated on this day. Today the tendency, that more and more common Christmas customs and symbols, characteristic for all countries of the world, appear, is obvious. It is interesting to look through other countries and see their specific Christmas moments. About traditions and customs of Christmas in various countries and periods - in the article “Christmas Season: Traditions of the World”.

In post-communist countries, intelligentsia as social stratum is dividing, and today certain tendencies of intelligentsia’s differentiation can be seen. First, the intelligentsia divides into intellectuals and professionals or experts; second, into the big bourgeoisie and petite bourgeoisie. About transformation of intelligentsia, intellectuals as “decreasing minority” and change of professions’ prestige and social values – in the article of Darata Surdokaite “Transformation of Intelligentsia”.

Juvenile delinquency is an important social problem. The number of the crimes has increased and the problem is being widely discussed. However the discussions most often concentrate merely on the fact itself and its scale, and tend to forget the factors that determine the situation. The problem in Lithuania has received little attention so far. In order to understand why young people commit crimes it is essential to know the factors that determine juvenile delinquency. Read about them in the article of Vaidotas Motiejunas “Social factors of juvenile deliquency”.

At present, much attention is devoted to Lithuania’s membership of NATO. This issue of “Sociumas” presents an interview with Romualdas Sviedrys, a historian, professor, who had been working at New York Politechnical University in Brooklyn for quite a long time and now lectures on the history of science and use of technologies in Kaunas Technological University. Read professor's ideas about problems of technologies and society in the new "Sight of the Month".