Femininity and masculinity are still in opposition within Lithuanian families.

“Family life, child care and even balance maintenance of the family on daily basis are related to the performance of the mother. Father’s role is to support family life, and his presence can be perceived to be more harmful for the development of the child than his absence”, says Julija Eidukevičiūtė.

The aim of child protection services is to preserve families, so that child could develop in safety family surrounding. Clients of the social work are families, where father is absent or distant in relation to child care and household management. Mothers are responsible parents by managing household, providing child care and compensating lacking involvement of the father.

Mothers as those responsible for the child care are more approachable for the professionals. Mother’s inability to stash away the hardship of family situation makes the entrance of social worker into family matters possible.

Construction of the social work process with families seems to be diffuse, rough, controversial, conflicting and unclear. Within transformation process, social workers are adopting the forms of professional posture gained through understanding of social work. However, the content of their performance is inherited from the past experiences and historical development.

Social work practice with mothers is evolving because of the frequency of cases and differences of the specific helping processes with families.

“By having positive experiences and success with one mother, the professional self-esteem of the social worker arises and it is easier to face another family with more open attitude.”

The question for the futures researches is how this gained and transformed practice of social work with families in special setting will develop.

Information on the public examination of the dissertation:
Julija Eidukevičiūtė’s doctoral dissertation Family Social Work Practices in the Context of Transitional Lithuanian Society is to be publicly defended under the permission of the Faculty of Social Sciences on 5th of April 2013 at 12 at University of Lapland at Lecture Hall 2 (address: Yliopistonkatu 8, Rovaniemi). The opponent is Ewa Kantowicz from University of Warmia and Mazury Olsztyn, Poland. The custodian is Professor Emeritus Kyösti Urponen from University of Lapland.

Information on the doctoral candidate:
Julija Eidukevičiūtė (born 1977 in Kaunas, Lithuania) had Bachelor degree in Catholic Theology in 2000, Master degree in social work in 2002 and Supervisor diploma (Consultant of professional relations, Academy of Munster) in 2007 at the Vytautas Magnus University.

Since 2002 Julija Eidukevičiūtė has worked as a teacher at social work bachelor program at Vytautas Magnus University. She has been participating in different national and international projects. From July 2012  she has been director of the Old Town children day care center which is a NGO providing social services for families at risk.

Additional information:
Julija Eidukevičiūtė, tel. +370 672 08601, julijaeiduk (at) gmail.com
Press copies of the thesis are available at Lapland University Press, tel. +358 40 821 4242, publications (at) ulapland.fi

Information on the Publication:
Julija Eidukevičiūtė: Family Social Work Practices in the Context of Transitional Lithuanian Society. Acta Universitatis Lapponiensis 250. Lapland University Press: Rovaniemi 2013. ISBN 978-952-484-616-5. ISSN 0788-7604.

You can place an order at:
Academic and Art Bookshop Tila (University of Lapland, Main Library, address: Yliopistonkatu 8, Rovaniemi), tel. +358 40 821 4242, publications (at) ulapland.fi, order online at www.ulapland.fi/lup

ULapland/Communications/JW