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Each institution in the state administration in the Republic of Croatia organizes its operations through numerous administrative organizations (administrations) and organizational units (independent sectors, sectors, services, departments, sections and sub-sections) whose number and responsibilities differ with regard to their internal organization. In this paper, the emphasis is on state administration bodies, that is, on ministries and state administrative organizations. The paper tries to answer the research question of whether there is a difference in the efficiency of the operations of state administration bodies in the Republic of Croatia in relation to the representation of women and men among employed officials and state employees. The aim of the paper is to recognize the importance and analyze gender representation in state administration bodies in the Republic of Croatia and to determine whether there is a difference in the efficiency of work results in state administration bodies in relation to the representation of women and men. The research covers 16 ministries and 12 state administrative organizations in the Republic of Croatia, which employ a total of about 49,820 employees. According to the research results, there is no statistically significant difference between business efficiency and gender representation in state administration bodies in the Republic of Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper researches the impacts of the housing problem of younger population on the demographic trends in the city of Zagreb. Housing problems in the city of Zagreb are marked by an increase of housing prices and rents, mainly in the uncontrolled market, and they differ from other parts of the country. In the context of the challenges of housing policy development in transition countries, the housing standard, housing tenure, the housing market and the rental housing market in Zagreb are analysed. Regarding the research methodology, the paper is based on a survey, analysis of statistical data and other, relatively scarce literature. The analysis of the housing market and the uncontrolled housing rental market speaks of the key problem of housing affordability. Social programs in this area are residual in nature and do not provide housing for vulnerable groups. An important contribution of the paper is a survey in the population aged 18 to 39 years. The results of the research show that less educated immigrants who come to Zagreb for employment cannot afford decent housing. The unsustainable status of tenants in the uncontrolled private market makes this population socially excluded. The affordability of decent housing mediated by financial problems and other factors has negative effects on childbearing. In addition, such forms of social deprivation are proving to be triggers for emigration from the country. Certain methodological innovations are proposed for future research in this area. In addition to the negative effects on demographic trends, the unaffordability of decent housing also affects labour mobility, and thus the social and economic development of the city of Zagreb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the financial development of the Republic of Croatia as measured by the dimensions of financialization, financial deepening and financial inclusion through interaction with two dimensions of social exclusion, such as income inequality and at-risk-of-poverty rates. The aim of the paper is to determine how financialization, financial deepening and inclusion affect income inequality and the risk of poverty. In terms of financialization, research has shown that the development of the overall financial sector relative to GDP reduces income inequality and at-risk-of-poverty rates, while the growth of banking sector assets relative to GDP increases income inequality and at-risk-of-poverty. With financial deepening, the share of corporate loans in GDP has been shown to increase income inequality and the at-risk-of-poverty rate, while loans to households are not significant for inequality, but therefore reduce the at-risk-of-poverty rate. The share of household loans in GDP is not significant for income inequality, but it reduces the at-risk-of-poverty rate. The financial inclusion of households has shown that the three groups of loans (transaction account overdrafts, cash and other loans) depend on the level of inequality and that the opposite causality operates. While cash loans reduce the at-risk-of-poverty rate, the at-risk-of-poverty rate as an inverse causality affects transaction account overdrafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equality between men and women in the exercise of rights is one of the fundamental principles of the European Union, which is enshrined in the acts of primary legislation and in secondary legislation. However, the directive did not ensure full equality of fathers and mothers with regard to reconciling professional and family obligations, which was the reason for the adoption of the new Directive 2019/1158, which contains provisions aimed at striking a balance between work and family obligations, and which was adopted on 20 June 2019. This Directive repeals Council Directive 2010/18/ EU, that is, Member States have a period of time to comply with the new Directive within three years of its entry into force. In addition to the importance of involving the father in childcare at a young age, the paper also points to EU legal acts that regulate the reconciliation of fathers’ professional and family responsibilities. In addition, an overview of available data on the use of childcare leave by fathers is provided. The paper pays particular attention to existing solutions at EU level for the use of parental and paternity leave, comparing them to those contained in the new Directive 2019/1158. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the world of labour lead to the need to regulate flexible forms of work, and in the case of parents and carers this is additionally demanded by the Directive on work-life balance for parents and carers (EU/2019/1158) that was transferred by Croatia to its national legislation in 2022. At the same time, research indicates that adjustments of labour legislation in that direction can also, apart from positive ones, have negative effects on the well-being of employees and gender equality, so it is important to take into consideration the political, organisational and cultural context within which flexible forms of work are regulated. As there was no discussion during the process of the adjustment of the Croatian legislation, this paper considers the strengths and weaknesses of the current regulation of flexible forms of work for parents and carers in Croatia, placing it in a comparative perspective and within the context of current knowledge about the effects of flexible forms of work on the well-being of employees and gender equality. It indicates that the wider regulation of the right to flexible forms of work due to the need for care was not followed by consideration of the negative effects that such forms of work may have on the well-being of employees and gender equality, or by the introduction of mechanisms that could prevent or alleviate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU member states are undergoing the process of economic and demographic transformation with significant influence on society and economy. In order to respond to the existing and future challenges, it is necessary to adapt development strategies and policies, as well as to focus on concepts such as innovation, social change, equality and sustainable development. In the new development strategy, EU will focus on creating a society that will function as a competitive, secure and energy-efficient system. Scientists, economic policy makers, nongovernmental organisations and entrepreneurs are showing an increasing interest in the field of social innovation, striving to address a series of contemporary challenges. The aim of this paper is to study the role and ways of fostering social innovations in the European Union. The contribution of this paper is reflected in the systematic review of the importance of social innovation and the measures used to foster them, while pointing out the existing obstacles and needs and recommendations for further development of social innovation in the context of global challenges that the EU is facing. The results of the research indicate the growing importance of social innovation in modern EU policies that actively promote the quintuple helix approach, recognizing sustainable development and innovation as key development priorities during the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Recommendations for further development of social innovation in the EU include the need to coordinate various EU instruments in this area, encourage investment in innovative education, training and employment programs in this area, increase awareness of social innovation, encourage networking and dissemination of information and create an enabling environment for their development. Also, the paper highlights the shortcomings in the field of measuring social innovation, as well as the need to address this challenge, in order to improve the understanding of their role, but also a more efficient allocation of incentives to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although homelessness is a multifaceted phenomenon that has aroused interest in the Croatian scientific community over the last decade, the quality of homelessness services has not been explored so far. Based on a qualitative research that included key participants in the homelessness sector, this theme is problematized through various aspects of service quality. Following an introduction and a description of the method used, this paper describes the legal regulation of quality of services for homeless people, as well as the problems that homelessness services providers encounter in practice in relation to legal documents. More specifically, this paper analyses: the availability of services for homeless people, financing models, quality of accommodation facilities, quality of social services and quality control. All these aspects of service quality are supplemented by a number of first-hand practical experiences as well as some examples of good practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the connection between education and divorce in Croatia. Who gets divorced more often, people with more or less education? Are there gender differences? Is the educational gradient in the risk of divorce changing with time (across marriage cohorts)? The paper searches for answers by using individual (micro) data from the vital statistics of marriages and divorces. The data were linked to allow observation of all the couples who married for the first time between 1989 until 2014 from the wedding until the divorce or until the termination in observation. The results obtained by using the event history methods show that, on average, across all marriage cohorts, education influences the risk of divorce for men negatively, and for women positively. Regarding changes in time, for both genders there are indications that those with low(est) education levels get divorced most frequently. This can lead them into an even more unfavourable position, since the divorce most frequently has negative consequences, so the future research should examine what implications our empirical results have on social inequality in Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides an overview of phenomena and issues of homelessness in twenty years of Croatian contemporary history, from Croatian independence in 1991 until 2011 when the homeless were officially defined in the Social Welfare Act (Official Gazette No. 57/2011) and they received a status of users in social welfare system. The basic definitions and concepts connected to homelessness are explained in the paper, and homelessness in Croatia is considered within the context of social, political and economic circumstances in the mentioned period. Based on the published data and on the results of recent research on homelessness, the paper presents the main characteristics of the homeless and pathways into homelessness, and provides information about homeless shelters. The possibilities of historical research of homelessness in the 1990s are also discussed in the paper, so as to understand and clarify the issues of homelessness in the recent Croatian history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify the effects of tax changes that occurred during the financial crisis on income inequality across European Union member states. Namely, the recent financial and fiscal crises have changed taxation trends in a large number of the European Union member states. The member states have been differently affected by the crisis primarily depending on the different degree of macroeconomic imbalances ascendant in the economy. Therefore, policy responses varied among them and were strongly connected with macroeconomic and fiscal conditions. The paper includes a theoretical background, comparison of present differences among the taxation systems of the European Union member states, and an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of different types of taxes. In order to precisely define those differences, the influence of reforms taken in three major tax forms (labour, capital and consumption) was tested, as well as social security contributions using fixed and random effect panel models over the sample period from 2000-2011. Taxes have a significant redistributive impact and this development affects income inequalities and depends on the type of tax implemented. Most member states have tried to consolidate their public finances and improve their tax systems in a more growthfriendly way. This paper presents a hypothesis that the implementation of selected fiscal measures influences inequality reduction and demonstrates that the overall social contributions and labour taxes lead to statistically significant improvements in income inequalities among EU member states. We conclude that tax policy, specifically the choice of taxes implemented, reduces income inequalities in the EU in the observed period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic crisis that has been ongoing since 2008 has led to an escalation of the problem of poverty and material deprivation in a large number of EU member states. On the other hand, the internationalization of food supply chains has led to an increase in food waste along the way from raw materials to the final consumer, and the most developed economies are leaders in this phenomenon. Therefore, in practice, various forms of social initiatives have emerged with the aim to solve both of these problems. The aforementioned social initiatives include intensive cross-sector cooperation of profit and non-profit sector. This paper will first explain the situation of poverty and material deprivation in Croatia compared to other European countries. Furthermore, it will explain the phenomenon of food waste in the supply chain at the European and world level. Finally, the paper will analyze and describe basic forms of solving these two problems through cross-sector cooperation within the field of social entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identity crisis of a »welfare state» model has raised a number of questions for theorists and practitioners. These problems, of course, have not surpassed the system of consumer bankruptcy protection which has the primary objective - economic and social »rehabilitation« of consumers and which is differentia specifica in relation to the primary objective of corporate bankruptcy − settlement of creditors. The scope of this paper does not permit a detailed analysis of these issues, and we are forced to limit ourselves exclusively to one of the key issues of the new consumer bankruptcy law: the right to a home. We specifically analyze the practice of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter: European Court) in proceedings under Art. 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“Right to a Home”) because we assume that it is a key to understanding the paper subject, as well as to the proper application of the institute of “right to a home”. With respect to the foregoing, in order to have a comprehensive answer to the subject, the structure and concept of paper had to be adjusted. This paper could have been divided into three parts, but it has not been formally done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to explore financing of the social welfare homes for the elderly and infirm in Croatia. Apart from the legislative framework, the state expenditures for 1) operation of homes founded by the Republic of Croatia, 2) operation of decentralised homes (homes for which the founding rights were passed by the Republic of Croatia to the regional self-government units, i.e. the City of Zagreb and 3) homes users who are not able to pay for their accommodation, even with the help of their families or selling their own real property. The paper shows that the state expenditure for homes in 2014 amounted to almost 250 million HRK, with most of the expenditure covered the losses incurred by decentralised homes. The price of accommodation in these homes is below the market price, which results in demand that surpasses the supply by far. Apart from the price, the accommodation criteria which are currently unclear and uneven should be reconsidered. It is of crucial importance that those who do not have another solution get accommodation in state-owned homes, to reduce the waiting lists, and that the state participates in the payment of the price only for the most financially disadvantaged. The priority in financing homes should be an adjustment of revenue and expenditure on the annual level, in order to make the system long-term fiscally sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first part of the paper the author makes observations about the demographic processes and ageing of the population. In the second part some basic data about ageing that determines prolongation of life cycle are presented on one hand, and the decreased rates of demographic reproduction on the other. The second part of the paper outlines the projections about the ageing of the population in Croatia and Europe in the following decades. In the third part of the paper public policies focused on overcoming and mitigating consequences of the population ageing are discussed. These include the concept of active ageing, reforms in pension and health systems and the system of the care for the elderly. Finally, the author reflects on some aspects of the future intergenerational contract that should be based on the paradigm adjusted with the changes of circumstances in which people live nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is analysing the influence of international institutions on social policy creation in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008. The first section gives an over\>iew of the relevant literature, followed by a presentation of socio — economic factors that led to international credit agreement, reform agenda and actual implementation of social protection reforms. Through the analysis of proclaimed social protection objectives and their implementation by local institutions in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an assessment of the achieved results is done in the light of realised savings and better targeting of social transfers. The paper sheds some light on inconsistent policy of both international institutions and government actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hence, despite the proclaimed reform objectives, the system of social protection based on status rights which is fiscally unsustainable, and poorly targeted towards the poor still remains largely unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a potential contribution of social innovations to strengthening social cohesion and mitigating the effects of the crisis. In EUfunding policies and programs, social innovations are recognized as an important contribution to strengthening of social cohesion, which has weakened due to the crisis and increasing social vulnerability. At the same time, it is shown that social innovations in the Croatian context are still a concept poorly understood by policy creators, experts, and the general public. The findings and conclusions of the paper are based on the empirical research conducted within the international FP7 project WILCO - Welfare Innovations at Local Levels in Favour of Cohesion, which studied the selected towns (in Croatia Zagreb and Varaždin) and characteristics of their social systems, and which analyzed identified examples of social innovations. Local social systems of cities included in the research reflected the characteristics of national welfare regimes only partially, and the openness and support of local authorities is crucial for the development and sustainability of social innovations. Most of the studied innovations were in the field of services, although innovations were also recognized in innovative instruments of regulation and social rights, the new forms of governance and new modes of work and funding of organizations, and they can have an impact on the gradual changes of the local social systems. In the Croatian context, three types of social innovations can be distinguished: (1) innovations occurring in the public sector, with the support of experts from outside the industry, (2) innovations that come from abroad, as a result of foreign financial programs, and (3) innovations coming from civil society, based on the self-organization of citizens. While in the examples of some Western European cities the public sector with its professional capacity is recognized as an important producer of social innovations, in Croatia, past experiences and the research conducted within the project suggest that most social innovations come from civil society, where the level of cultural and social capital is an important prerequisite for the development and success of innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the role of social protection and social expenditure in the financial and economic crises. Accordingly, the objective of the paper was to analyse the trends in social expenditure developments in EU countries since the beginning of the last economic crisis (2008), examine changes in the composition of social protection spending during and following the crisis, and analyse the effectiveness of social protection schemes during and following the crisis in terms ofpoverty rate reduction. The paper confirmed that social protection expenditure has increased in almost all EU countries since the beginning of the crisis and that in the crisis most countries rely on redistributive effects of the so-called automatic stabilizers. Social expenditure developments during andfollowing the crisis and the effectiveness of social protection in alleviating consequences of the crisis are related to the features of social protection models (regimes). Countries with larger social sectors are coping with the crisis more successfully. Economic, financial and social crises may induce changes in the social protection system. The crisis is an opportunity for countries with low social expenditure to widen the coverage of social schemes, set up new schemes or increase the level of benefits. As inappropriate crises management models fuel poverty and unemployment, and decrease economic growth, it is important to define the role of social protection/welfare state in a crisis management strategy. Among other things, a solution is to strengthen an approach where social expenditure is seen as social investments which may revitalize the role of social protection in the economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New challenges that welfare states cope with brought to changed priorities in the area o f social policies and the growing promotion o f the dual-breadwinner model in European countries. As patterns o f behaviour o f men and women in the labour market are not just a reflection o f the economic situation, the cultural context and individual beliefs, but also of the existing institutional arrangements in the area o f social policies, work-family policies are becoming increasingly important and the area o f growing intervention in many countries. Variations in work-family policies and economic activity, and the characteristics o f the employment o f parents in European countries bring the issue o f their effect on the outcomes ofparents at the labour market in the focus o f interest o f political and scientific debates, and efforts have been particularly made to answer the question which schemes o f work-family policies really contribute to larger employment rates o f parents and thenbetter outcomes at the labour market, which is the central question o f this paper as well. After a brief insight into the position o f parents at the labour market in EU countries, particularly focusing on the gender differences and the differences between parents and childless individuals, the paper presents a detailed review o f the results o f the research dealing with the effects o f different institutional context, i.e. work-family policies, on the outcomes o f the parents at the labour market. The final part o f the paper contains a brief discussion about the implications o f the presented results o f comparative studies on the situation and the development o f measures in the area o f work-family policies in Croatia, which clearly indicate the needfor reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is based on the analysis o f the Croatian Development Index published in 2013 and its indicators on the local self-government level. The first part o f the paper describes the index construction, as well as theoretical and practical problems associated with the construction o f composite indices and their role in development theory. The second part presents the conducted analysis o f the components and cluster analysis o f indices for 556 local self-government units in the Republic o f Croatia. Based on the analysis, six clusters and three types o f development shown by the index have been identified: low development, unit development and human development. It was revealed that the index favours unit development, characteristic for littoral units, based on high incomes o f towns and municipalities and population trends, at the expense o f human development expressed through employment, personal income and education, although the intention o f the index is quite contrary. It has been concluded that the index should be modified to better emphasise the human development component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to determine specific characteristics of Theodore Lowis re-distributive policy making, to contribute to the comparison of social policy with other policy areas. Therefore Lowi s four policy types (distributive, regulative, redistributive and constituent) are carefully examined, as well as the classification criteria and characteristics of each type. The interpretation of criteria and characteristics is developed by comparison and summarizing of original and abundant secondary literature. The paper shows that redistributive policies are characterized by the usage of public finances and public services for achieving public interests, by elitist or corporatist power-relation structure of state and big civil society actors, and by visibility, ideological conflicts and public debates. The main finding is that the redistributive (social) policies are most similar to constituent policies, then to distributive policies, and the least similar to the regulatory (economic) policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with a narrative biographical research of the quality of life and equal opportunities for deaf-blind persons from the area of the city of Zagreb. Findings are based on a narrative analysis of semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with 12 deafblind persons who have difficulties with varying degrees of severity. By Labov's analysis and later grouping through narratives, personal stories and experiences, they have been grouped into five types according to their experiences during education, sociability, employment and later quality of life. The findings indicate severe difficulties that prevent persons with a double disability from quality education adapted to them, and then in the development of normal sociability, i.e. which enable a lack of isolation and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a research on the availability of social rights and services for families in the municipalities in rural areas of Croatia. Specifically, three research questions were raised: 1) to determine the availability of certain social rights and services for families, 2) to determine whether there are differences in accessibility with regard to regional affiliation and developmental characteristics of the municipality, and 3) to determine whether there are differences in the quality standards of social rights and services given the regional affiliation and the developmental characteristics of the municipality. Data were collected through a web survey with representatives of 215 municipalities. Social rights are more available to families than social services. The most available rights and services are those promoted by the central government. Municipalities in the Pannonian region, as the least developed ones, have the most available social rights and the least available social services. Rights and services are more available in municipalities closer to the county centers. As regards the quality standards of social rights and services, the population is sufficiently informed and involved in planning, while the use of EU funds and civil society involvement are less developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses 134 policies which address lifelong learning policies (LLL policies) in nine countries involved in the project Policies Supporting Young Adults in their Life Course: A Comparative Perspective of Lifelong Learning and Inclusion in Education and Work in Europe (YOUNG_ADULLLT, HORIZON 2020). The analysis is based on three theoretical concepts - cultural political economy, life course theory and governance. The objective of the analysis is to determine the ways in which the LLL policies for youth are formulated and implemented in educational, economic and social sectors. The analysis shows the differences between the countries with regard to the stated goals that are a result of different social and economic circumstances. Policy formulation policies range from centralized to decentralized. The objectives of policies are threefold - educational, economic and social, with their representation varying from country to country. The levels and mechanisms of lifelong learning coordination also show the differences between countries with regard to centrally managed localism, laissez faire and democratic localism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An active lifestyle can improve various aspects of the life quality in older adults. Regardless of the age, each person is capable for some type of physical activity. Ageing is not a limitation factor for an active lifestyle and for the inclusion of older adults in organized dancing activities. In introduction, the paper presents the current knowledge about the role of the dance in human life in the ontological and anthropological sense, and also describes the dance functions in the older adult age. In the central part, the paper shows the results of a qualitative research based on in-depth interviews conducted with 10 retirees who were involved in dancing activities in the Association of Pensioners New Brestje. The goal of the research is to achieve a better understanding of the older adults' experiences in dancing activities, and to gain insight into their attitudes and expectations from their participation in organized dancing activities. The results show that retirees who are actively engaged in dancing activities usually have a positive experience in practicing dancing in earlier periods of their life. The participants described experience with the dance as a constructive way of their adaption to changed life circumstances connected with the loss of their previous roles (at work, in the family). The results show that the participation of older adults in dancing activities improves their social inclusion, life satisfaction, self-confidence, physical condition and feeling of acceptance and support from the environment. The participants emphasize the high level of motivation of their engagement in dancing activities, because they recognize this activity as a good way to maintain a homeostatic balance in their life, to enrich their inner life, to fulfil leisure time with cheerful and calming activity which brings strength to cope with everyday problems. Through participating in dancing activities, the older adults expect to maintain health and physical activity, to strengthen their relationships within the peer group, and to gain therapeutic effects for mental health improvement and support for constructive coping with difficulties. Health problems and structural factor associated with the lack of an adequate supply to provide dancing activities in the community are recognised by the participants as barriers for their engagement in organized dancing activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last twenty years, demographic changes have put social policy before the challenges of finding alternative ways to ensure the sustainability of the state budget. Challenges of an aging population at the macro level in the countries are mostly resolved through pension reforms and reforms of labour market, which in the current times of economic crisis does not achieve its purpose. Another problem at the micro and mezzo level is the origin of vulnerability, poverty and social exclusion of the elderly, which create the conditions for the formation of stereotypes and prejudices about old people. There is a generational alienation, which in the long term can create increscent of conflict between generations and further deterioration in the quality of life of older people. Many authors see the solution to this situation in the intergenerational cooperation and solidarity among all three generations (young, middle and old generations). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to draw attention to the contribution of the above mentioned risk factors and present a model of intergenerational solidarity through volunteering, developed at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana. The main goal of the paper is to show how we can achieve good results in intergenerational collaboration among young and old people through action research with the aim of improving the quality of life. The conclusion offered is the significance of intergenerational volunteering which gives opportunity for collaboration without a large financial investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volunteering is the activity of people who freely give their time in order to bring new contents and values into the lives of others, without expecting any financial gain in return, i.e. without being paid. The question arises what motivates individuals to being, but also persevere in volunteer work, and particularly what determines the motivation of young persons to decide on voluntary unpaid work. Namely, as volunteering is one of the key determinants of a developed civil society, young persons should be encouraged to volunteer work from the earliest age. Consequently the basic aim of the paper is to analyse the reasons to volunteer, particularly the reasons of young persons in the final years of their study programmes. Additionally, the paper researches the connection of selected personal characteristics of young persons (gender, personality and the area of study) with the primary reason to volunteer. On the sample of 255 students of the graduate study programmes at the University of Zagreb with its seven constituent parts (Faculty of Economics and Business, Faculty of Kinesiology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Social Work at the Faculty of Law, Faculty of Teacher Education) it has been established that the primary motivation to volunteer of the largest number of respondents is their own beliefs, and not any material gain, in other words they truly identify with the idea of volunteering (the motive of „worth“). The research has also shown that the incentives to participate in volunteer work depend on specific characteristics of an individual Specifically, the reasons to volunteer depend on the area of study/work of the individual (the third hypothesis on statistically significant different motivation for volunteering with regard to the area of study of the respondent is accepted), and to a lesser extent on the gender and personality traits of the individual (a large number of descriptive and some findings of the inferential statistics point to the differences in motives to volunteer with regard to gender and personality traits, but the first and the second hypotheses relevant to these relations have been rejected). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides some key research findings from the Civicus Civil Society Index Project in Croatia, which was implemented from 2008 to 2010, as a part of an international comparative research project. This was the third wave of the research project, after a pilot in 2001 and the following phase from 2003 to 2005. State of civil society in this paper is analysed in four dimensions: level of organizations, values, perceived impact and environment, which are integral parts of the "Civil Society Diamond" -- one of the best known components of this project. The research findings are put in a dynamic context, compared to the previous two research phases, thus enabling tracing of particular indicators and dimensions of civil society in a developmental perspective. Dimensions of level of organizations, that is civil society infrastructure, and that of environment have obtained the greatest score in this research. Moreover, the dimension of environment shows the greatest increase in the observed time period. We can talk about development of civil society in Croatia, especially in the following aspects: sectoral cooperation and networking, new possibilities of financing, the strengthened role of civil society as a co-governor in certain policy fields, the role of civil society organizations in meeting social needs where public services are lacking. On the other hand, unsustainable employment in civil society organizations, undue interference of the State in civil society's activities, perceived corruption in civil society organizations and generally low levels of trust in society are shown to be permanent challenges for development of civil society in Croatia. The research also recognized multiple effect of the economic crisis on civil society, most notably in the decreased financing of civil society organizations and therefore weakening of human capital in organizations, and on the other hand, by leading to greater passivity of citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the history of the people with intellectual disabilities' institutionalization, primarily in the USA, United Kingdom, and Germany, countries whose social policies were used as the role model for social policy in many other countries. The first part of the paper will provide information about the causes of intellectual disabilities, different classification of people and the purpose of the institutionalization in the period from the Middle Ages until the beginning of deinstitutionalization. The purpose of the institutionalization will be presented as the protection of people with intellectual disabilities and the protection of society from people with intellectual disabilities. Some aspects of education, labor and sterilization as important determinants of people with intellectual disabilities' life in institutions, basic aspects of history of institutionalization in Croatia and some information about the deinstitutionalization in the world are going to be presented in the second part of the paper. In the final part of the paper the answers about what has been changed during the history when it comes to the institutionalization of people with intellectual disabilities as a measure of social policy are going to be presented. The conclusion is that although the modern trends of deinstitutionalization ensure progress in the care of people with intellectual disabilities, many aspects of the institutionalization have been minimally changed during history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the increasing complexity, as well as the increasing need for financial products, it appears that the adequate levels of financial literacy are necessary. The research of the determinants of financial literacy of citizens is scarce in Croatia. Therefore, through this research we wanted to examine the increasing number of financial constructs with regard to the existing previous research, as well as determine the importance of socio- demographic factors in explaining financial literacy. The research was conducted on the representative sample of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia (N=1049). The results have shown that socio-demographic variables represent a significant predictor of financial literacy, as well as its components, namely knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. The paper examines the importance of different socio-demographic characteristics and concludes that, although they are significant, socio-demographic variables are probably not the most important determinants of financial outcomes. Therefore, a greater emphasis on additional, psychological characteristics as potential determinants of financial outcomes is re commended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of developmental needs, children's rights and protection of the best interests of children, the need for of early preventive interventions in the biological family and placing the child him/her in foster families, in case of removaling the child from the family, are is being more and more emphasized. However, when thinking about their development, it is important to have the information on current trends in foster care in the world and on the factors that promote or inhibit quality foster care in order for those interventions by the system to adequately really respond to the needs of foster children and their foster and biological families. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper, except to point out the current trends in foster care in countries with different traditions and levels of economic developments, is to extract factors that were identified as facilitators or inhibitors of the process of foster care, retention of foster parents in foster care status and stability of the child placement. The aim of this paper is to provide a description of the empirical indicators of possible directions for of improving the care for children in foster care, and empowering foster parents in their role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper attempts to deal with the institute of maintenance of adults (spouses, extramarital partners, and same-sex partners). After introductory remarks on the fundamental features of the institute of maintenance, the author clarifies the difference between maintenance as an institute of family law and maintenance as regulated in civil law regulations. A special focus of the paper is a comparative analysis of the legal solutions laid down in the Principles of European Family Law (a non-binding legal document issued by the Commission on European Family Law) and the legal solutions in Irish family law legislation, compared to the Croatian solutions. In the final part of the paper, the author presents the results of the research, and the conclusions drawn from the study of the legal regulation of maintenance of adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageing population is one of the demographic processes typical for contemporary society. Both nations and organizations should therefore recognize the significance of age management, in other words, of taking care and empowering older employees to add value. The paper deals with age management concept both on theoretical and empirical level. In the theoretical part, age management is explored through definition, stimuli, participants and activities of age management, as well as explication of early retirement factors. Empirical part of the paper presents research results about the potential early retirement factors of 182 respondents. At the end of the paper, based on both theoretical and empirical findings, athe model for effective age management in Croatian organizations is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the theoretical and empirical framework of the debate on widening participation in higher education and explores to what extent the lessons learnt in this field have been applied in the field of public policy. Widening participation is based on the assumption that the probability of entering and successfully completing higher education is contingent on a complex range of social, economic and cultural characteristics of potential students, and that the measures aimed at widening participation must acknowledge the multi-faceted nature of inequities in education. In this context, this paper analyses the extent to which international stakeholders in higher education acknowledge widening participation as a priority. Special attention is given to the question of whether their policy documents take into account the results and implications of empirical research in this field. Finally, the paper assesses the potential impact of these documents on the debate on this topic in Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One's socio-economic status affects almost every aspect of his/hers life, including education. The main objective of this paper is to determine the relationship between familial socioeconomic status and students' educational achievement. The paper is based on the OECD - PISA international study carried out in Croatia in 2006 on the sample of 5 209 15-year-old students involved in secondary education. Students' results in scientific literacy, as well as variables and indices constructed by OECD, were used in analyses. The distributions of selected variables linked to socio-economic status definition, such as parental education, monthly household income, educational expenses and home educational resources are presented, as well as their regional differences. Multiple regression analysis proved the relationship between socioeconomic factors and students' science test accomplishment. Regression model which includes three indices (Highest International Socioeconomic Index of Occupational Status, Index of home educational resources and Index of cultural possessions) and four variables (average monthly household income, average monthly educational expenses, household book number and highest educational status of parents) explain 23 per cent of the total variance of students `achievement in scientific literacy. The second regression model with the region of residence additionally contributes to variance explanation by 1 per cent, indicating significant relation between living in specific Croatian region and science achievement. The main conclusion of this paper is that socio-economic status (along with the region of residence) represents a significant predictor of the educational achievement, and that it is relevant in analyses and interpretations of PISA results, even though Croatia could use an adaptation of PISA indices in order to trustworthy represent the data. It is advisable to continuously analyse the test results and, besides some general indicators of educational success, such as educational system, teacher qualifications and school infrastructure, also to consider the effect of students' socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the reflections on the problems involved in the measurement of the quality of health care services. It presents theoretical contributions to a study of specifi c characteristics of services marketing in health care, including a review of the results of a previous research which measured customer satisfaction with health care services. Special attention is devoted to a presentation of the most frequently used model of service quality measurement or SERVQUAL, which is also widely used for measuring the service quality within health care. The paper presents the results of a research of the quality of health care services provided by primary health care institutions in the City of Zagreb and the Zagreb County (with a special emphasis on public sector health care institutions) by using the SERVQUAL scale. The research focuses on the extent to which the Croatian customers use the services of the public sector vas. those of private sector primary health care institutions. It attempts to determine the importance paid to individual dimensions of service quality and to find out whether there are any significant gaps between the perceptions by customers and their expectations of the quality of services provided by primary health care institutions. The results revealed a significant gap between the perceptions and expectations by health care service users, while showing that the gap varies according to different dimensions of service quality. The management of public sector primary health care institutions ought to improve their service according to all dimensions of service quality. At the same time, they should pay particular attention to the dimensions where this gap was found to be the largest, i.e. »responsiveness«, »assurance« and »reliability«. No connection was established between the size of the measured gap as far as any individual service quality dimension is concerned, and the significance of that particular dimension for service users as compared to other dimensions. The paper may prompt the management and employees of health care institutions to conduct further measuring of their service quality in the future so as to identify the elements which must be improved in order to enhance customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a series of research studies of the process of social reconstruction conducted in the period from 2000 to 2004 in Vukovar. The framework consists of five basic studies: (1) survey of the opinions of citizens, Croats and Serbs, conducted in 2000 and repeated in 2002, about mutual relations before, during and after the war, and the possibilities of reconstruction of social relations and reconciliation, (2) research of attitudes towards education and interethnic relations from 2001, in which the participants were primary and secondary school students, their parents and teachers, (3) ethnographic research of the process of social reconstruction of the community in the period from 2000-2003, (4) qualitative research of socio-psychological consequences of the war and consequences for interethnic relations from 2000, and (5) the research on the breakdown of long-standing friendships between members of opposed ethnical groups. Approximately 2,300 participants directly participated in the research studies, and the ethnographic study enabled a wider and deeper analysis of the social reconstruction process that transcends the framework of the directly surveyed sample. The results indicate a slow recovery of the community multiply traumatised by the war events, which left deep, long and in many aspects probably permanent consequences on interethnic relation in once highly homogenous and functional multiethnic community. The paper proposes the model according to which the social recovery of the community simultaneously takes place on four levels: individual-psychological level, community level, social level and structural level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of the paper are to: 1) estimate the number of elderly persons who do not receive pensions, 2) analyse their social, demographic and family characteristics, 3) analyse and compare some indicators of the quality of life of elderly persons without pensions to the indicators of the quality of life of elderly retired persons, 4) analyse the structure of income and the role of the social welfare transfers in the households in which elderly persons who do not receive pensions live, and 5) discuss the models of social protection for elderly persons without pensions. The source of the data was the European Research on Quality of Life, conducted in Croatia by the UNDP in 2006. For the purposes of this paper, a representative sub-sample of persons over the age of 64 was singled out (1,661 respondent). According to estimates, 12.4% of elderly persons in Croatia do not receive pensions. Over 95% of all elderly persons without pensions are women. The median of the equivalent household income of elderly persons without pensions is twice lower than the median of the household income of elderly retired persons. Also, elderly persons without pensions generally have poorer indicators of the quality of life than the elderly pensioners. Elderly persons without pensions who live in single households are in the most unfavourable economic position. These are the persons who most frequently receive social assistance. Advantages and disadvantages of social pensions and social assistance as an alternative in social protection of elderly population without pensions are analysed. Social pensions in Croatia based on the means testing are more acceptable from the fiscal and political standpoint than universal social pensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is the result of an action-oriented empirical research about the role, development and achievements of foundations n Croatia. As a background for empirical research, the secondary sources were analysed, as well as the results of previous research studies on the development of foundations in Croatia. The theoretical analytical framework of the development of foundations in Croatia is connected with the contemporary typology of the role of foundations and the social model of the development of foundations. This paper also outlines the developmental problems and achievements of foundations in some transitional countries. The aims of the research are to contribute to a better understanding of the environment for the development of foundations in Croatia, to explain the role and vision of the development of foundations, to estimate strengths and weaknesses of foundations and to stimulate a discussion about the role of foundations in the development of Croatia. The data on foundations were collected through a mail survey and case studies. The results of the research mainly speak of the development and the increase in the number of foundations in Croatia that mostly play a complementary role. To a smaller extent, foundations appear as innovators. The results of the research indicate a peripheral social model of the development of foundations. Scholarship foundations and foundations in the area of social welfare are dominant. Foundations encounter problems in raising funds to increase their basic assets. They are mainly managed on volunteer basis, and the state does not appear as a partner in the development of foundations. The development of foundations in Croatia will largely depend on the economic progress and new middle classes that will be more concerned about social problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analytically investigates the system of social transfers in Croatia and evaluates their impact on reducing poverty and economic inequality in Croatia. In the theoretical part of the paper, recent results from the economic research studies about the new role of social expenditure and social transfers in the new environment are presented. The survey of recent literature questions the view of some schools of the economic thoughts about the role of social expenditure, that claim that social expenditure is not productive and jeopardizes economic development. The research results show that the Croatian system of social transfers is contributing to both poverty and economic inequality reduction in Croatia, but the efficiency of the system is slightly below European average. The conclusion is that there is a space for improvement regarding the efficiency of the social transfer system. The best-rated transfers regarding their contribution to poverty reduction are social assistance and family pensions. However, the social assistance level and the coverage rate of the poor receiving social assistance in Croatia are low. That fact and the efficiency problems in the social transfer system partially explain why the process of relatively intense economic development in Croatia over the last decade has not contributed to the increase of material well being of the poor in Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper starts from the thesis that the institutional and economic efficiency of a state i.e. society depend on its historical heritage (path dependence), strategic interactions and the international surrounding. Estonia and Slovenia are considered to be not only economically, but also institutionally assertive and relatively successful post-communist states i.e. new member states of the European Union. However, they have developed two completely different — in some important aspects even diametrically opposite — regulatory rules and different political and social arrangements. The paper particularly emphasises the ideological and strategic significance of the élites and their infl uence on the course of reforms and transitions, and on the form of capitalism at the end of the transition. It can be claimed that the political élite in Estonia encouraged the formation of the state that is close to the liberal-minimalist model, while Slovenia is close to the corporatist model of welfare. With regard to including the former into the liberal-market economies (LME) and the latter into the coordinated market economies (CME), certain specific features and local modifi cations should be pointed out. In both cases, some dysfunctional consequences ensued, and they represent a new challenge to the élites, at the same time serving as the test of their credibility and competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the introductory part of the paper, the author considers the challenges of the process of reintegration of war veterans into peacetime and civilian life. The author emphasises that the key prerequisite for a successful reintegration is the improvement of the employment level of the veteran population. The consequences of the Homeland War, and the characteristics of the aid programme for war veterans in Croatia and in other countries are briefly y outlined. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the rights of the Homeland War veterans and their family members, and the data on the number of users and the expenses for certain rights in the period from 2002 until 2006. The defenders make a relatively numerous groups in the overall Croatian population, even in comparison to the military powers such as the USA. Comparatively viewed, the Republic of Croatia intended a wide sphere of rights for its defenders, and these rights range over almost all social security systems, but they stretch even beyond that. The data show that there is a constant growth in the number of the users of certain rights, but also of the expenses related to that. A large and constant growth of the users of the right of the disability allowance and a large number of unemployed defenders are particularly worrying. Despite large expenses for the housing allocation, numerous requests remain unsolved, and will represent a problem that the governments will have to deal with for a long time. Finally, the author warns about the lack of evaluation of the existing aid programmes, as well as on the need to redirect the welfare systems for the defenders from mainly compensatory measures to the development of various integration programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text is the result of years-long research on the role of nonprofit housing organizations in housing policies, and on the opportunities for their development in Croatia. A part of the research that refers to the Croatian circumstances has the characteristics of an oriented research. The first part of the paper analyses the development and the role of nonprofit housing organizations in the developed countries. The author warns about the various typologies of these organizations, their hybrid and intermediary character, and meeting the housing needs of different social groups. The marked role of nonprofit housing organizations in Austria and Ireland provides a broader insight into the accomplishments of these organizations in housing policies with different traditions. Nonprofit housing organizations appear as important participants of social policies in transitional countries. Housing co-operatives as nonprofit housing organizations have a certain tradition in Croatia. Towards the end of the 1990s, they played a recognisable role in meeting the housing needs. In the beginning of the 1990s, the state withdrew from housing policy, and housing co-operatives lost their former privileges. Besides, a part of housing co-operatives show that they can offer lower housing prices and housing of more quality on the housing market. Recent government measures indicate unsustainability of housing programmes conducted from above, and underhandedly provide an opportunity for the development of nonprofi t housing organizations. The paper analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the development of the concept of nonprofi t housing organizations, and refers to the research that could provide new arguments in favour of the development of housing co-operatives as intermediary organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyses presented in the article are based on the axiomatic assumption that concisely states the following: economic, political and socio-cultural constellations significantly determine the level of social life or the social status of patients. Starting from the aforementioned analytical hypothesis, the paper analyses the differences in the legitimising i.e. socially remitted identity of the patient in modern society on one hand, and in post-modern society on the other. As a theoretical preliminary work for further analyses, the lexical-conceptual demarcation between the words that exist in the English language is emphasised: disease, illness and sickness. The purpose of this conceptual analysis is to answer the question: what exactly do we mean when we say that someone is sick? Parson's concept of the sick role served as an analytical construct for understanding the way in which modern society in the middle of the 20th century decided about its patients. The theoretical significance and value of this concept is recognised not only because it is operative, i.e. equally applicable (at least in general) on all members of society, but also because a sick person is relieved from performing customary social tasks, as well as the moral guilt, and therefore from every other responsibility for the occurrence of the illness. After an extensive and structured survey of Parson's concept of the sick role, in the final part of the paper the status or "the world of life" of the sick is critically considered in the light of structurally contingent processes in developed political economies of postmodern society. The result of these analyses is summed up in the conclusion: through the introduction of the market principle to the sphere of public good, such as human health, fundamental right of the sick are undermined, and thus also the real chances for the medical care of quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the different traditions with regard to performing public services (services of general interest), the continental-European and the Anglo-Saxon ones, the paper determines basic characteristics of public services. Special attention is paid to the evolution of the concept of public services and their basic characteristics and classification, the protection of public interest and the special role of the public authorities with regard to the services of general interest. The paper analyses the evolution of the concept of "services of general interest" that has been developed within the European Union, and that has been stimulated by the release of several European Union documents (Announcements from 1996 and 2001, the Green Paper from 2003 and White Paper from 2004). The significance of this concept lies in the fact that it reflects the main conflict related to the development of the so-called European Model of Society, which attempts to reconcile the demands resulting from the welfare state on the one hand, with making provisions for the uninterrupted functioning of the common market on the other. Basic elements for the development of the concept of social services of general interest are proposed, attempting to point out to their specificities with regard to the category of economic services of general interest. Special attention is given to the critical analysis of the judicial practice of the European Court of Justice with regard to social services that this Court has issued decisions on. Due to specificities of social services, their special treatment in the process of reform that those services are undergoing is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the development of Croatian health policy from the second half of the 19th century until the end of 2006, focusing on the period of post-socialist transition. The analysis relies on three basic elements: the outline of crucial laws and reforms (that shape the policy), the analysis of social effects of the health system (key health indicators, costs of the system and the rights of insured persons) and the analysis of social circumstances and key actors of the health policy of Croatia. It shows that a series of reforms (particularly frequent in the transition period) failed to address the crucial issues of financing, accessibility and quality of the health protection, although such actions managed to cope with the most acute financial problems in the short run. The analysis also shows that a series of health indicators does not provide a unambigous picture of the health system of Croatia. It is possible to identify those that speak of the favourable, but also of the unfavourable aspects of the health protection. The end of the paper urges for development of a public and professional discussion by pointing out both to complexity of the health system and to the social context in which it operates. Such a discussion could help to solve at least some of the dilemmas of the future development of the health policy of Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the results of the CIVICUS research Civil Society Index in Croatia, conducted in 2004 and 2005, the paper discusses to what extent is civil society becoming a relevant social force. The condition and possibilities of civil society are presented through the analysis of four key dimensions shown through the civil society diamond: the structure, the environment, values and impact. Some of important sub-dimensions of civil society, such as the extents of civic participation, donations to charity, actions in the community, the co-operation between the state and civil society, the values-led framework of action and so on are discussed in more detail thereinafter. Basic strengths and weaknesses of civil society are summed up in the end of the paper, and necessary social actions, as well as the possible directions of further research studies, are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the projections of the overall number of inhabitants for the period up to 2031. Based on the set hypotheses on future trends of fertility, mortality and external migrations, the projections have been calculated in three variants. In all three analysed variants, the hypotheses regarding mortality are identical. Fertility hypotheses have been made in the variants of decreasing and increasing fertility. The hypothesis on mild annual positive balance of migrations has been set in one of the variants. Since the projected period in question is relatively short, different fertility hypotheses have a relatively low influence on the population trend in the work contingent. Only with the assumed positive migration balance would a part of decrease in the population growth in the work contingent up to 2031 be compensated. The central part of this paper presents a projection of the trends in the number of retired persons and active insured persons in Croatia up to 2031. Based on the age structure of retired persons in 2001 and the set hypotheses on the future influx of pensioners, the trend of the number of retired persons has been projected up to 2031. It has to be emphasised that the Croatian Institute for Pension Insurance does not dispose of the complete registry of all potential pension users who reside outside Croatia (displaced Serbs, persons who have left abroad to work temporarily…) In such circumstances, a potential »immigration« into the projected number of retired persons in Croatia has been estimated. In accordance with the expected changes in the economic structure of the population in European countries up to 2031, the hypothesis has been set in three variants of the rate of the economic activity of the work contingent. Thus the projected number of potential active insured persons in Croatia was obtained, as well as the ratio between them and the number of retired persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the need for measures of the Zagreb Strategy of Uniform Policy for Disabled Persons (hereafter: the Zagreb Strategy), the manner of introducing these measures and their realisation in the period from 2003. to 2006. The introductory part of the paper briefly provides basic definitions, historical review of the attitude of society towards disabled persons, a survey of contemporary concepts, approaches and models of protection of this part of the population, as well as the basic characteristics of the disabled persons in the area of the city of Zagreb. The realisation of the Zagreb Strategy measures is considered through the results of the research of the rights of the disabled persons according to the international organisations' methodology, i.e. based on the standardised survey for the analysis of the index of respecting rights of the disabled persons. Since the comparative results of the research prior to the implementation of the Zagreb Strategy and after a half of the period of its validity have been presented, they can be regarded as a pragmatic account of the real situation, because they show how far has the application of the program of action towards the disabled persons in the City of Zagreb gone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper gives the overview of the history of charity and social work carried out by women on the Croatian territory from the end of the 19th century until World War II. It describes socio-economic preconditions for the entrance of women into the public sphere, where they found the prolongation of their traditional role of caregivers in charity work. In the end of the 19th century, the upper class members were active in charity, humanitarian and cultural work organised in ladies' societies. Later on, women's organisations gradually became more democratic and narrowed their scope. The second part of the paper presents the results of the research based on the archival materials on some of the first forms of modern social work. The Friends of Young Girls (1927-1947) was a civil organisation based on feminist principles, with the aim of fighting against prostitution. In co-operation with the international federations of Friends of Young Girls and similar civil initiatives in Croatia, they tried to apply social work methods with their clients, primarily prevention, counselling, support and education. The first professional social workers employed by the municipal authorities of Zagreb were nurse aides and teachers of city shelters for children. These two groups had different training and working conditions, and therefore the level of their professional identity was also different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the significance and social role of social partnership, primarily from the perspective of the European experience. Historically speaking, partnership is most clearly connected with the development of social-market economy and the principle of subsidiarity, as it was applied in Germany and other European continental countries after Worm War II. The same understanding of social partnership was built into the foundations of the establishment of the European Union. However, later development led to the expansion of the social roles of social partnership, so that they became not only the consulting partners, but equal actors in the process of governing the Union. Yet this process does not lack numerous difficulties. Social partnership is faced with constant questioning, as the old model of social dialogue was consistent with the national social models, which are being weakened today, due to processes of globalization and privatisation. In spite of its problems and understatements, the European experience is very important to post-communist countries, including Croatia. The post-communist development stripped many social values of legitimacy, which led to thorough social marginalisation of all non-state actors, especially unions and civil society organisations. Social dialogue is fostered only demonstratively, almost exclusively on the national level, and not on the level of companies, branches of industry and lower levels of government. Contrary to that, this paper warns that the social development of post-communist Croatia is significantly limited without a far greater role of social and civic partners, and that the existing political-institutional framework of the social dialogue should be filled with the appropriate content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]