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PREVENTION OF GROWING SOCIO-CULTURAL DISPARITIES IN THREE DIFFERENT REGIONS OF LITHUANIA

Liudas MAZYLIS, Regina JASIULEVICIENE,  Ilona SVIRSKAITE,

Liudas Mazylis, Dr.Assoc.Prof., Vice-director of the Institute of Political Science and Diplomacy (IPSD), Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), Kaunas, Lithuania.

Regina Jasiuleviciene, Dr.Assoc.Prof., Head of Department of Political Science, IPSD, VMU.

Ilona Svirskaite, Lecturer of Faculty of  Social  Sciences, VMU.

Rytis BULOTA, Nerijus PREKEVICIUS, Ingrida UNIKAITE

Rytis Bulota, Lecturer of IPSD, VMU.

Nerijus Prekevicius, Lecturer of IPSD, VMU.

Ingrida Unikaite, Lecturer of IPSD, VMU.

This paper is based on the data of complex research in three territories of Lithuania (June 2001 – March 2002, project supported by Open Society Foundation), the aims of  which were to evaluate socio-cultural differences, their dynamics, possibilities to prevent them, particularly, involving communities and local government into a process of interactivity. Among aspects of the project was a problem of quality of public service delivery (education, social, health services, culture) mainly as seen from the point of view of the grassroots level. 

For these purposes, several research methods were used: (1) quantitative opinion poll (65 questions, closed and open, including demographic characteristics, socio-economic status of respondents, their satisfaction by the activities of different levels of government and self-government in different spheres, evaluation of processes of dynamics of socio-economic differences from their point of view); (2) questioning of local experts (heads of different local institutions, leaders of NGO’s) about public service delivery in their particular territories, including model situations, also part of the same questions from the quantitative research; (3) work in focus groups with local experts analysing model situations; (4) analysis of strategic documents and particular decisions of municipal institutions; in this paper also nation-wide statistics, particular laws and nation-wide concepts and programs are commented. 

Characteristics of research territories. Three territories of different types in average population of 3000 inhabitants have been selected. A. Didziasalis, sub-municipal unit of Ignalina Municipality in the Eastern part of Lithuania, part of traditionally poor developed agricultural region, including small town emerged in 1970ties near new built ceramics factory closed in 1990ties; territory 40 km from Ignalina nuclear power station, partly surrounded by Byelorussian territories, additionally affected by invasion of asocial persons after closing of ceramics factory. B. Suginciai, sub-municipal unit of Moletai Municipality, “typical” rural agricultural territory, formed from 4 former “kolkhozs”, 4 relatively bigger settlements and smaller villages, with incluses of landscape with lakes prospective for tourism. C. Petrasiunai, part of Kaunas, the second largest city of Lithuania, industrial part of the city, particularly affected by decline of former branches of industry. 

Description of research methods. Sample of respondents for quantitative survey was formed by selecting 200 respondents from each terrritory using probability cluster sampling. Respondents were 18 years of old and above. First, larger clusters-territories of Diziasalis, Suginciai and Petrasiunai were selected. Second, some smaller clusters, reflecting different types of households, in each terrritory were selected. In urban territory of Petrasiunai two clusters with two types of dwelling units, private blocks of flats and private one-flat households, were selected. In rural territories researchers attempted to select three types of clusters: one street in the central village of the selected territory, one street in a peripheral village, and some steading households. In each household one person was interviewed randomly. 
For questioning of local experts, 48 respondents were selected.

Chapter 1: Overview according to particular sectors of public sectors delivery
1.1 Education
Analysing results of quantitative research (fig.1-3 show results of questioning of local experts and inhabitants of three selected territories), relative regularity can be fixed. In general, the majority of inhabitants agreed with a statement that education services in their particular territory correspond the Lithuanian level (49 per cent of all respondents totally); degree of satisfaction is higher in urban territory, and among local experts, respectively. Open answers of  local experts in their questionnaires mainly are in accordance with mentioned above; modelling situations (for instance, possibility of new arrived family to give standard level of education for their children) showed no special differences.  Analysis  of wording in the answers to open questions concerning problems of particular territory also do not concentrate on problems of education. In general, relative regularity of education standards can be interpreted by means of national education policy; average salary of the teacher in a countryside is essential higher than average incomes (varying from 335 litas in Didziasalis to 543 litas in Petrasiunai.

However, other research data show that the situation with education irregularities is more complicated.

First, unequal conditions for  possibility of pre-school education. Starting from pre-school education, the attendance of kindergartens in rural territory is essentially lower compared to urban; although it started to grow last years, this growing is almost non-remarkable; general figures are, 11.8 per cent in rural territories against 58 per cent in urban. This leads to unequal starting positions already in seeking secondary education (in our research it could be “shored” by existing of pre-school institution in each selected territory, and principle possibility to attend it for their children). Analysis of the answers to open questions concerning problems of particular territory showed that exist the problem to access preschool, primary school and professional education for rural children and youth. Main reasons are: birth decline - preschool and primary institutions receive less and less children; that will make the real problem to those institutions and in the future they could be closed; poverty - families with children cannot provide financial support for their children to buy books, to pay their travel cost and living in town. In Didziasalis and Suginciai they have no professional school.
 
Another nation-wide statistics “shoring” rural/ urban inequalities is, there are no principal differences in quality of education when it is analysed on a level of regions. At the same time, comparing rural/ urban schools such differences are evident and can be connected with differences in qualifications of teachers: for instance, according to results of final exams (which are unified in the whole territory of Lithuania), education in large cities and in centres of municipalities is better than in rural schools. Additional problems are created by the fact that possibility to acquire primary and secondary education in a countryside is later connected with the need to change schools, and, consecutively, with social and economic problems for families. (Another side of the problem: small rural schools at the same time are a kind of cultural centers; it is under responsibility of local government to decide whether so close them; for particular territories in our research it was not a problem at the moment). The same about high education; although principal possibilities are similar, de facto urban inhabitants are prevailing among graduates from high schools. Typical, although particular, wording among respondents, “I will spend a lot of money for my child, but there is no guarantee he/she will good job after graduating”. 

In this context establishing of can be of doubt direction of concept of education, to differentiate secondary education supporting high quality education in “elite” schools concentrating best teachers there.

**Fig.1**
**Fig.2**
**Fig.3**

 1.2 Culture

Services delivered by state (local government) nation-wide are mainly connected with functioning of libraries and cultural centres. Bigger satisfaction with cultural services in Kaunas city could be interpreted psychologically (fig. 4-6). Though one of participants of  focus groups replied, in the minds of inhabitants they compare today’s situation with soviet mass culture which was introducing through former “Houses of Culture”; and physical fall of them is perceived as culture decline. It is also typical, that in Didziasalis, where cultural decline is the highest according to data of polls, there is the lowest percentage of newspaper readers and library visitors though the reading possibilities in libraries are the same as in, for instance, in Suginciai. 

Important aspect, access to the Internet in libraries or other cultural centres (computer users were among respondents 13 per cent, it is compared to average Lithuanian figures obtained by other researchers), the answer in one of the focus groups to the question about this possibility was, the problem could be simply solved by introducing post of one computers specialist in a library, cultural centre or other place.

**Fig.4**
**Fig.5**
**Fig.6**

1.3 Health services

The majority of all respondents (59 per cent of all respondents; see fig. 7-9) do perceive that the level of health services in their particular territory corresponds Lithuanian average. Although it is relatively satisfactory evaluation, for instance, 24.6 per cent of  Didziasalis’ inhabitants in their answer to another question indicated that they cannot buy medicine they really needed. Explanation of  this particular fact in focus group the explanation was, there is psychologically connected with recent possibility to buy medicine cheaper in neighbouring Byelorussia. However, additional data support the meaning that the irregularities of health services are bigger than they are perceived. Our research is mainly connected with lower level of health system.

For instance, “medical points” (the first level of health services) in Ignalina municipality are located unequally; inhabitants living in remote parts of municipal territory (Didziasalis typical example) cannot reach physician in 30 minutes. Number of physicians here is 21.5 per 10,000 of inhabitants (though is stable and does not diminish last years), when the Lithuanian average is 39.5. More broad context is, public money for health make 4.4 per cent of GDP, which means, twice less than EU-average. Didziasalis’ “medical point” is one of 20 which are delivering first aid but do not dispose their own means of transportation. Another problem, after the separation in Lithuania of first level health services from the second level consultation services, the problems occur with reaching it. Introducing system of cabinets of “physicians of general practice” is connected with problem of priority, free competition in this sphere, or the dislocation of such cabinets should be regulated by local government.  

**Fig.7**
**Fig.8**
**Fig.9**

1.4 Social services

Data of our research are in accordance with consequences caused by principles of Lithuanian social security system which is based on domination of social security payments (pensions) and social allowances. But our investigation showed some regional differences. The main difference is partnership between local government and NGO. Community centre of Petrasiunai  is the partner of local government to give social services for children in need, elderly and other vulnerable groups. The good initiative is in Didziasalis too. But in Suginciai we found that local government do not support NGO and social security is based just on financial payment.

Pensions in rural territories are becoming dominating part of incomes. Particularly, in Didziasalis pensions together with social allowances were the main source of incomes for 33.3 per cent of respondents. Unexpectedly, we found pensions as important source of incomes of respondents of Kaunas city (27.2 per cent of respondents). 

Important part of social allowances is connected with unemployment. In general, stressing employment and unemployment problems was dominating among results of all particular research phases (quantitative research including wording of answers to open questions, questioning of experts, focus groups). There is a consensus among inhabitants and local experts that solution of problem of growing socio-economic differences is impossible without stimulation of creating new jobs and bigger employment. In general, among respondents the part of unemployed in a sample was 20 per cent (particularly in Didziasalis 29.8 per cent; official statistics of Labour Office show in Didžiasalis 30.7 per cent).

41 per cent of the respondents agreed that social services in their particular territory are on the Lithuanian average level (details see in fig. 10-12). Analysis of wording shows, in particular, that respondents are not satisfied with exceptional, in their opinion, support by the state of problematic asocial groups and are intended to force receivers of unemployment allowances to participate in public works.

**Fig.10**
**Fig.11**
**Fig.12**

1.5 Role of different branches of government, NGO’s and community participation

Perception of inhabitants about the powers of different branches of government to solve problems of different territories is in generally adequate to the real powers of particular branches of government. The highest levels of people’s confidence reached the sub-municipal officials, intermediate local government, the lowest – central government. It is in comparison with data of previous researches.

General problem of Lithuania, different levels of investment in different territories, both private and public, can be clearly seen in the territories investigated, too. Private foreign and local investments in a capital city, Vilnius, and in see port Klaipeda, where the socio-economic situation is better compared to other territories, are dominating. In opposite, in Ignalina municipality foreign investments amount to 0.02 per cent (particularly in Didziasalis zero) of the Utena region, which, at the same time, is not the best in Lithuania (10 times lower level of foreign investments compared to Vilnius region). 

The support for agricultural production is also unequal; perspectives are unclear due to absence of regional policy concept of the Lithuania. Fortunately, 2002 was the first year when co-financing of EU-funding according to financial support instruments is included into the state budget. Benefits from SAPARD and related EU-instruments as well as structural and common agricultural policy measures should be also taking into account when discussing future scenarios of socio-cultural development; however, their influence can be seen as particular.

Municipalities, although all of those have limited powers and instruments to improve socio-economic situation, show different intentions to influence this process consequently. Unexpectedly, Kaunas, the second largest city of Lithuania with perspective economic and research potential, has no detailed strategic development plans at all. In opposite, two other municipalities investigated have defined their priorities quite in detailed.  

Community self-perception is in this context of importance. A kind of paradox, we found that problematic groups and territories drastically affected by decline perceive their situation more adequately and are already able to articulate their needs more clearly. Particularly, in Didziasalis, NGO’s and community centre are becoming important actors in dialogue with governmental institutions. In opposite, in territories where decline process has more hidden and continued form, community needs are much less articulated. (“Frog test”). For the territories near centres better developed economically (bigger cities) it is also typical law level of community organization; their inhabitants, although perceive decline process, do prefer solving their socio-economic problems individually. Additional problem of different territories of Lithuania, the network of NGO’s is not enough developed; particularly, less than 10    per cent of Lithuanian inhabitants were members of membership based NGO’s, when, for instance, in a territory of former GDR 19 per cent.  

Shortly concluding, problems of growing socio-cultural disparities, as seen from the lowest level, are mostly connected with employment (different levels of investment, both private and public, here are perceived as of greatest importance). Irregularities of public service delivery are perceived as secondary factor. National education and health reforms do not exclude a tendency to increase the differences of possibilities to have the public services for rural and urban residents. Rural residents, which live in poverty, experience social exclusion because they have no access to expensive educational and health services (travel costs to reach services, pharmaceuticals expenditures are higher than their income). In order to prevent socio-cultural disparities between different regions, Lithuania has to elaborate sustainable regional policy taking into account regional aspects of public service delivery.

References
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