HARDY, M. – DUDÁŠOVÁ, T. – VRANKOVÁ, E. – HRAŠKOVÁ, A. 2011. Social pathology of the family. Proceedings of the international scientific conference. Bratislava: VŠZaSP St. Elizabeth. 365 p. ISBN 978-80-8132-000-2. Foreword: "Marriage and family constitute one of the most valuable assets of humanity" (John Paul II). In today's busy world, we observe that people are less and less prepared for the tasks that await them, both in their professional and personal lives. Many experts associate the family crisis with radical changes in the life strategies of men and women in society and in the family. The sensitive perception of the human rights of women and men, their ideas about personal self-realization in life, application in the work area, and only then in the family, is emphasized more and more often. At the same time, marriage with all its attributes is the most sensitive test of personality maturity. The maternal and paternal roles have become a kind of "Cinderella", the starting positions of men and women are changing. Emphasized "equality of opportunity" in society relegates the maternal role, and society's one-sided focus on "performance" steals fathers from families (sometimes also mothers and grandparents).
When organizing the conference, we proceeded from two points of view: 1. When looking for a solution, we want to rely on the latest research in the field of family life, but also on the life reflection of experts dealing with family issues, as well as on the results of monitoring changes through various state and non-state professional institutions, which will help us navigate the tangle of different opinions on the family. 2. This year we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Bishops' Synod on the Family (November 22, 1981) and the subsequent publication of the apostolic exhortation of John Paul II. Familiaris consortium. Two years later, the Charter of Family Rights was issued (October 22, 1983), presenting to all people, institutions dealing with the family in today's world, governments, parliaments the facts of how we should understand the basic rights that belong to a natural and universal community such as the family.
We are pleased that the beginning of this year is marked by the organization of important international conferences - at the beginning of February, a conference called "The Family in the Third Millennium" was held in Bratislava with the participation of Cardinal Jozef Tomek, who was the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops on the Family in Rome in 1980. At the beginning of April, a conference is planned in Žilina on the topic "The relevance of logotherapy in educational and social work. We believe, that by organizing this conference we will also contribute to the management of problems in the family. We wish all participants a lot of well-being and creative inspiration for everyday life.
Editors, In Žilina, February 24, 2011