PaedDr. Slavomír Laca, PhD.
Social pedagogy undergoes constant development in connection with the development of the entire society, which is marked by social changes related primarily to growing technology, automation and globalization of the world, but also to the growing number of socio-pathological phenomena in society. "The publication entitled "Fundamentals of social pedagogy" is a summary of studies on how to understand the theoretical starting points, identify problem areas, specify content parallels of social-pedagogical, educational aspects that are closely related to social pedagogy. On the pages of this publication, we want to provide a multidimensional historical-contemporary view of the methodological starting points of social pedagogy. To achieve a comprehensive view, it is necessary to point out the issue of social pedagogy for social workers. We consider it natural to also name individual areas in which social pedagogy works directly or indirectly. And knowledge of these areas is the main prerequisite for the successful application of social pedagogy in practice.
PREFACE
Contemporary society is characterized by the development of social sciences in the broadest sense of the word. As if one of the possible solutions to current social problems or problems of postmodern society depended precisely on the development of some of these sciences.
Development of fields such as social work, social pedagogy, social andragogy, social anthropology, social medicine, social economics and e.g. social informatics is a consequence of the new paradigm of social sciences. The current market environment is also reflected in these social and other sciences. Postmodernists claim that science is science if it finds application in the market. Certainly a debatable statement, but whether we look at science from a traditional or postmodern point of view, we must make every effort to develop it. And this applies doubly to social pedagogy.
Is social pedagogy a pedagogical or social science? What is the professional focus of social pedagogy from the point of view of the target group? What are the competencies of a social pedagogue? Is this scientific discipline developing or stagnating on its historical roots? And more and more questions arise when the phrase social pedagogy is uttered. However, we can already confirm the basic parameters today, it is an interdisciplinary, biodromous science, and it creates its own schools and directions in its specializations.
Almost all pedagogy is social, education appears as a social phenomenon, socio-pathological phenomena are mostly the result of a defect in the socialization process, school and extra-curricular environments are increasingly separated from each other, adulthood is a new category of pedagogical sciences, and soon we will see a situation where people of post-productive age will become a numerically larger social group than of pre-productive age (meaning children and youth).
Many of the above-mentioned and unspoken questions are answered by the monograph of a young and promising expert in social pedagogy, which in basic, clear and structured chapters gives the reader a basic idea of the concept of social pedagogy in the category of children and youth. It is this area that is elaborated in detail in the Slovak environment and the profession of social pedagogue is also legitimized. In addition to historical contexts, the author deals with the paradigms of social pedagogy, the socialization process and very important issues of communication. The reader will thus learn a lot of essential and important information in the given field.
Dear reader, believe that you have in your hands the best that has appeared in the field of social pedagogy in Slovakia in recent years. I am glad and honored that I could write the introduction to this monograph.
prof. PhDr. Pavel Mühlpachr, Ph.D.
CONCLUSION
Social pedagogy has its history. Through the entire historical cross-section up to the present, social pedagogy focused and focuses on the area of family, school environment, upbringing, education, preventive activities, etc.. It considers this scientific discipline as the so-called "positive pedagogy", focused on help for self-help, personality development and improvement of living conditions, while the focus of socio-pedagogical work lies in prevention, which is aimed at children, youth, adults, i.e. at the entire human population. It touches all areas of human life, various aspects of society, family and individual.
Social pedagogy can be characterized as a special pedagogical scientific discipline that focuses not only on social-pedagogical problems in various environments, but also on new problems of a socio-pathological nature that occur in human society.
We understand the socio-pedagogical characteristics of social pedagogy for social workers as social educational assistance for all human individuals in society. Its goal is to protect a person from harmful influences, to teach him to cope with difficulties and to navigate in various life situations. It also has the task of conveying socio-cultural skills that enable active participation in one's existence and the life of the entire society.
© Author: PaedDr. Slavomír Laca, PhD. VŠZaSP St. Elizabeth, Bratislava
Reviewers: Prof. PhDr. Pavel Mühlpachr, PhD. Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Brno, Czech Republic Prof. PaedDr. Milan Schavel, PhD. VŠZaSP St. Alžbety, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Doc. PhDr. Darina Wiczmándyová, PhD. FZaSP Trnava University, Trnava, Slovak Republic
Publisher: VŠZaSP sv. Elizabeth, Bratislava Year of publication: 2011 Quantity: 1000 pieces Number of pages: 219 Print: BEKI desing s.r.o. ISBN: 978-80-8132-014-9 EAN: 9788081320149