Paurienė, Giedrė

This article examines how Lithuanian online media from 2020 to 2024 constructs narratives of economic security through emotional and semantic forms of expression. The issue is grounded in the observation that economic security in the public sphere is increasingly represented not only through factual indicators but also through linguistic, emotional, and visual structures that shape collective perceptions of (in)security. Despite the growing role of media in regulating the emotional climate, there is a lack of systematic research in Lithuania that reveals how emotions and metaphors influence the logic of discourse and citizen responses. The aim of this study is to analyse how narratives of economic security are formed in Lithuanian media through emotional and semantic expression. A mixed-methods approach is applied, combining thematic narrative analysis, emotion classification, latent semantic analysis (LSA), and the principles of critical discourse analysis (CDA). Data were collected from three major news portals: Delfi, 15min, and LRT. Articles were selected based on thematic keywords (“crisis,” “security,” “threat,” “inflation”) and analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The visualisation of emotion frequency was performed using the Python environment. The results revealed five dominant emotions — fear, anxiety, anger, trust, and hope — along with their dynamics in relation to major crisis events. Emotions in the discourse are not random; they are structured through metaphors (“inflation front,” “crisis blow”), discursive oppositions (for example, security versus threat, state versus citizen), and recurring semantic cores. A comparative analysis of the portals highlighted stylistic differences: Delfi tends to use dramatization and affective rhetoric more frequently, 15min balances emotional urgency with analytical structure, while LRT adopts a tone of trust and hope. The study suggests that the economic security discourse in the media functions as a means of emotional governance, helping to shape civic expectations, reinforce representations of (in)security, and influence public responses to crisis situations.

The article analyses the transformation of the concept of economic security in the context of the challenges of the modern world – geopolitical crises, pandemics, climate change and economic globalisation. Economic security is understood here not only as a set of macroeconomic indicators, but as a multifaceted phenomenon, encompassing the fiscal autonomy of the state, the resilience of strategic sectors, the ability of households to withstand economic shocks and public trust in institutions. Based on three-level model (macro, meso, micro), different planes of analysis are distinguished, which allow for a holistic assessment of both structural and subjective aspects of security. The comparative analysis applied in the article allows for the identification of five main theoretical paradigms of economic security: liberalism, neorealism, critical, feminist and ecological. Each of them offers a unique value perspective on what security is, what its threats are and what political responses are appropriate. In this way, the article contributes to the theoretical discussion on the conceptualisation of economic security and the possibilities of its practical implementation in the context of Eastern Europe and especially Lithuania. It is emphasised that economic security is not only the result of political decisions or structural power, but also a discursive construction – it is formed in the public narrative, the media, the emotional sphere and the collective imagination. The article justifies that the assessment of economic security must be interdisciplinary, combining economics, communication, sociology, cultural studies and public policy. Such an approach allows us to understand how economic security becomes both a material and symbolic dimension of survival in modern society.

This article examines the diverse ways in which students experience subjective safety in schools across various social and cultural contexts, employing a phenomenographic research approach. The aim of the study is to reveal how students perceive and experience safety, and how these perceptions interact. The study involved 56 students from three urban and three rural schools. Data were collected through written reflections and focus group discussions. The analysis followed phenomenographic principles and was supported by NVivo software, with the AI tool ChatGPT assisting in the initial thematic structuring. All final coding and interpretation were carried out manually by the researcher. The findings identified five interconnected dimensions of safety: physical safety; psychological safety and emotional well-being; moral safety and a sense of justice; social inclusion and community connectedness; and the role of teachers and administration. Psychological safety emerged as the central axis linking the other dimensions. Clear regional differences were observed: rural students more frequently associated safety with close interpersonal relationships and a sense of belonging, while urban students emphasised formal safety measures and technological infrastructure. The study demonstrates that students’ sense of safety in school is a multidimensional construct shaped by lived experience, interpersonal dynamics, and environmental context. The five-dimensional model developed in this research may be used in future studies and educational practice to design more socially responsive and context-sensitive safety policies.

The article analyzes the ethical boundaries between the public criticism of police officers that is essential in a democratic society and public insults that violate their human and professional dignity. The expansion of digital communication and the growing role of social media have intensified interactions between citizens and law enforcement institutions, but have also contributed to an increase in degrading and aggressive forms of communication. Drawing on the theoretical foundations of professional police ethics, human rights, discourse ethics, the harm principle, and virtue ethics, the article aims to establish where legitimate, argument-based public criticism ends and dignity-violating, destructive public insults begin. The aim of the study is to determine the ethical boundaries distinguishing permissible public criticism of police officers from forms of communication that violate their human and professional dignity and undermine the authority of the police institution. To achieve this aim, two objectives are set: to discuss the concepts of police professional ethics and dignity, highlighting their significance for public trust in police, and to theoretically substantiate a system of ethical criteria separating constructive criticism from degrading, dignity-violating communication. The study employs scientific literature and document analysis, comparative theoretical analysis, and logical and systemic analysis, which together made it possible to integrate different ethical perspectives into a coherent system of criteria. The analysis reveals that police professional ethics rests on two interrelated dimensions of dignity, an innate human dignity and socially constructed professional dignity, which derives from the societal importance of police functions and the ethical expectations placed on officers. Public insults violate both dimensions, causing psychological and professional harm to officers, weakening their motivation, and undermining the legitimacy of the police institution. Based on discourse ethics, the harm principle, and virtue ethics, a five-criterion system is formulated to clearly distinguish constructive criticism from insult: the object of criticism must concern actions rather than the person; the intention must be to correct rather than to degrade; justification must rely on arguments rather than emotions; proportionality must correspond to the situation; and the impact must not violate dignity. The article concludes that respectful, reasoned criticism is an essential condition of a democratic society, whereas degrading communication cannot be regarded as a legitimate form of public debate, as it harms both individual officers’ dignity and the public’s trust in the police as an institution.

The article will focus on the analysis of case law on homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and hate speech. In order to more widely reveal the concepts of incitement to hatred and hate crimes, their regulation and the issue of applying criminal liability, it is important to analyze the legal regulation and court practice of these acts. The research problem lies in the practical difficulties encountered in qualifying homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and applying criminal liability for them.The relevance of the topic is based on the need to more thoroughly discuss thelegal aspects of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and their motivating factors. It is observed that insufficient judicial practice in analyzing homophobic and transphobic hate crimes can lead to a complex qualification and investigation of these criminal acts.Research object: The application of criminal liability for hate crimes and the issues of incitement in the practice of Lithuanian courts.Research goal: To reveal the legal aspects of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and their motivating factors.Research objectives:1)Discuss the problems and causes of applying criminal liability for hate speech inciting hatred;2)Reveal the problems and causes of applying criminal liability for hate crimes.Research methods: The method of scientific literature analysis, the method of legal acts analysis, systematization, and summarization.The complex classification of criminal acts motivated by homophobia and transphobia and the low number of cases of this nature lead to inadequate analysis of the application and explanation of hate crimes in legal regulation. One of the main challenges for law enforcement institutions facing crimes motivated by homophobia and transphobia is the proper classification of these criminal acts and the identification of the motive of hatred. Regarding criminal acts motivated by homophobia and transphobia, Lithuania's judicial practice is not extensive, leading to problems in revealing the content of all hate crimes as individual criminal acts and elucidating them.

t. This article analyzes the connections between human rights and ethics with hate crimes and incitement related to homophobia and transphobia, revealing the problems in ensuring human rights in the context of these crimes. The research problem in this article is the insufficient theoretical clarification of concepts related to hate crimes based on homophobia and transphobia, as well as the problems arising in practice in ensuring human rights, specified by these questions: how are hate crimes based on homophobia and transphobia defined? What human rights problems arise in the context of hate crimes based on homophobia and transphobia? The novelty of the topic is based on the need to extensively discuss the concepts of hate crimes based on homophobia and transphobia, and the human rights issues that arise in the context of these crimes. It is noted that the rights of individuals affected by hate crimes and incitement related to homophobia and transphobia are not sufficiently ensured. Object of the research: the significance of human rights in the context of hate crimes based on homophobia and transphobia. Aim of the research: by discussing the characteristics of hate crimes based on homophobia and transphobia, to reveal the significance and problems of human rights emerging in the context of these crimes. Research objectives: 1. To reveal the concepts of hate crimes based on homophobia and transphobia; 2. To highlight the human rights problems arising in the context of hate crimes and their incitement based on homophobia and transphobia. Research methods: method of analyzing scientific literature, method of analyzing legal acts, summarization. The article concludes that crimes considered homophobic and transphobic hate crimes can include intimidation, damage to personal property, threats, assaults, health impairment, or even murder, as well as any other criminal act where the victim is chosen specifically because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Homophobic hatred is the fear or anger felt towards homosexual or bisexual individuals. Transphobia is a negative attitude exhibited by society and individuals towards people who do not conform to prevailing gender norms, manifesting as prejudice, disgust, fear, and/or hatred. Transphobia can be directed against transgender and transsexual individuals. No person can be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Regarding the equal human rights that belong to all individuals, it can be highlighted that the rights of homosexual, transsexual, and transgender persons to freedom of expression and assembly, family rights, and the right to gender change are not always fully ensured.

It is now widely recognised that the creation of a welfare state requires a sustained focus on one of the key drivers of educational change, schooling and, by extension, societal improvement: educators, who are expected to produce young people capable of participating actively and productively in change. The purpose of this work is to reveal the teacher’s attitude by reflecting on their biographies and the lived vocation to become a teacher, developing competences and participating in the process of educational change and creating a welfare state. The study used a biographical research. Qualitative research was conducted using narrative interviews. Fourteen participants took part in the study. The research instrument chosen was the biographical narrative interview. The research revealed that the choice of the teaching profession and the perception of vocation are triggered by biographical circumstances. The pedagogical potency and childhood interests in certain activities, as well as the awareness of one’s own needs, become the basis for the further development of abilities and skills. When an individual chooses a profession because of a vocation, it is as if there is a need for constant self-reflection on the part of the educator, which leads to the need for continuous development. By improving themselves, the educators also actively contribute to the change of the education system. Therefore, by educating the younger generation and constantly reflecting on their own experiences, educators actively contribute to social justice, changes in the country’s well-being, and thus to the creation of a welfare state.

The study aims to discuss mobile learning of foreign languages of the students of the study programme of Preschool Education at Kaunas Higher Education Institution, with a focus on the use of mobile applications. The study objectives are to define the concept of mobile learning and reveal learners’ attitudes toward the use of mobile applications in foreign language learning. The following questions can specify the research problem: How do students perceive the usefulness of mobile applications for foreign language learning? What aspects (e.g., interactivity, content, users’ experience) influence students’ opinions on mobile applications? The question of whether students consider mobile applications beneficial for foreign language learning is significant, as the answer to it reveals the effectiveness of M-Learning and its impact on students’ motivation. Due to time constraints, the study was conducted in only one study programme, so it is not possible to draw specific generalisations for the entire institution regarding the research problem. In this case, the research data can only be used to provide certain trend insights, present findings, and discuss issues. The study should be considered an exploratory research. The conclusions state that mobile learning is a dynamic and interactive form of learning that enables access to educational resources anytime and anywhere. It relies on the use of technologies such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets, which provide opportunities to use various learning applications, games, and materials. Mobile learning promotes individual learning, increases students’ engagement, and offers possibilities to personalise the learning process. Learners consider mobile applications useful for foreign language learning, especially due to their interactivity and the possibility of self-directed learning. Learners’ attitudes towards mobile applications in foreign language learning are shaped by several key aspects. These include interactivity, content, easy and intuitive user’s interface, and the ability to adapt the learning process according to individual needs and progress.

Gender equality, as equality of rights between men and women, equality of their opportunities and status, is not only a matter of social justice, but also of sustainable development of the economy and financial stability of the country.The article reviews the literature including the definition of gender equality and its evolution over time, as well as an analysis of different approaches to understanding financial and economic security. Special attention is paid to the role of gender equality in financial inclusion and economic activity of women. The impact of gender equality on social capital and sustainable development of countries is analyzed. The purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of the relationship between gender equality and financial and economic security, and to highlight the importance of gender aspects in achieving sustainable and consistent development of the country. The gender wage gap and the low participation of women in employment and economic processes in general limit the potential of the economy. Continuous persistence of such inequalities results in loss of resources and opportunities for economic growth. The untapped potential and knowledge of women become an obstacle to increasing productivity and innovation. A special emphasis on gender equality in the financial and economic sector contributes to increasing women’s access to financial services, their economic independence and reducing the risks of financial insecurity. This contributes to increasing the stability of the economy and financial security. Gender equality also has a positive impact on entrepreneurship and innovation, which contributes to the development of new markets and job creation. Thus, gender equality is not only a matter of justice, but also a key factor for achieving sustainable economic development and ensuring the country’s financial stability. Understanding the relationship between gender equality and financial and economic security is an important step in ensuring the prosperity and long-term sustainability of society.